‘Ready for whatever comes next’
FUNERAL DIRECTORS REVEAL HOW THEIR WORK HAS CHANGED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC
GARETH Coles has been running Coles Funeral Directors for 17 years.
But in nearly two decades of comforting, supporting and caring for families going through some of the toughest times of their lives, the past year has been like no other for the Cardiff-based business.
Earlier this year, we spoke to funeral directors about the effect of the pandemic on an industry which gets little attention but which is so vital to people’s lives.
Since then, we’ve had a period of breathing space during the summer, followed by another lockdown, which started on Friday.
So, what has changed in the funeral business?
Mr Coles said there was little return to normality for his business during the period when restrictions were lifted.
“If anything, it’s actually become stricter,” he said.
“The only return to some kind of normality is that the number of mourners allowed has been increased from 10 to 30.
“But as the first wave passed and more has been understood about the virus, things have actually gone the opposite way.
“There’s no singing in the chapels, because it’s been discovered that that can increase the risk of spreading the virus. Everyone has to wear a mask, including the widow or widower. They can’t approach or carry the coffin.
“[At the beginning of lockdown] you didn’t have to wear masks – it’s progressed.”
Mr Coles said his business had seen a 100% increase in funerals during the first wave of the virus, but this changed drastically during the summer.
“Obviously a big part of what happened during the first wave was Covid deaths, but it also had an impact on the general health of people, I think, who might have been too scared or unable to go to hospital.
“And then, it just disappeared. There was no impact during the summer months. We saw zero Covid cases. It just returned to the normal funerals that we would have expected to conduct.
“And then, from the beginning of October onward, it started to come back again and we were seeing new cases coming through.”
Saying the situation was “changing every day”, Mr Coles said he didn’t feel major changes were likely to be seen during the current lockdown.
“Everything, from delivering the statutory forms to registering a death, is all online now.
“The grieving and bereavement process has completely changed.
“It’s been very difficult, but we’ve had to adapt to it because of the law.
“In terms of how we deal with families, sitting with them, building a rapport with them, making sure they are supported, there isn’t the same human touch when you’re speaking to someone over the phone.
“It’s very challenging.”
Amjad Alsisi, known as AJ, runs White Rose Funerals in Cardiff with his brothers Ahmed and Amir.
He said the business had seen more deaths from suspected coronavirus recently than in the previous few months.
“It is scary – it stopped for a while, but it looks like it’s back now,” he said.
“In the first lockdown it started with one or two cases, then all of a sudden overnight it was seven or eight, and then we had 20% or 30% of our available space taken up by Covid-related deaths.”
AJ said his business differed from other funeral homes as a Muslim funeral director catering for all faiths.
“We are quite a niche market, and are the main caterers for the BAME community in the area,” he said.
“We’ve seen changes in ways others perhaps haven’t.
“For example, we cater for many Hindu services and those of other faiths, for whom final rituals such as body-washing are a must.
“We have had to ask families not to do some of these final rituals.
“How do you explain that to a family who has just lost a loved one? Especially if it is a suspected or confirmed Covid death, and maybe the family haven’t seen them in a few months.”
AJ added that the business was prepared for the latest tightening of restrictions.
“We were all the time wearing masks and using PPE during the first lockdown. We were dealing with funerals involving the virus, so we could possibly have had it too. So it was very important for all of us to take precautions all the time.
“We had PPE ready even before this lockdown, so we feel as prepared now as we were the first time.
“The First Minister has given permission for families to visit on compassionate grounds, including comforting loved ones. I think the government is more prepared this time.
“We’re ready for anything.” Others, however, said they had noticed less change in the past few months.
Michael Ryan, funeral director at Michael G Ryan Son & Daughters Ltd in Newport, said he had not noticed any major fluctuation in the number of funeral services.
“It’s not been high-volume and it’s not been low. It’s been average right the way through,” he said.
Mr Ryan said that lower numbers at funerals and minimal contact were likely to remain the norm for now.
“Unfortunately, we’ve got to call it the new normality. This is going to go on for several years to come.
“It’s upsetting for the families. I had a funeral last week where we had 20 in the crematorium, with 10 allowed stand outside.
“They told me if it was a funeral in a normal situation they would’ve had something like 200 people there.”