802-257-0775

30 Jan After Death Care

Posted at 15:16h in Programs by

Demystifying the care of a body after death

For as long as humans have existed, we have cared for each other at the end of life, including after death. Caring for a body at home is often legal and practical. Brattleboro Area Hospice provides volunteer support to interested clients and their families in understanding what is involved, then planning and carrying out this ancient and visionary human-to-human connection. 

After Death Care volunteers provide information and support with:

  • Caring for a deceased person, including bathing, grooming, dressing, shrouding, cooling the body, sitting vigil, and transport of the body
  • Accessing community resources and/or drawing together a circle of loved ones to do the above
  • Creating end-of-life ceremonies and rituals, including home wakes, vigils, and funerals
  • Obtaining a burial transit permit
  • Green burial information
  • Working with a funeral home to access individual services as needed

The body does not need to be sent away immediately. There is ample time – sometimes as much as a few days — for family and friends to gather, honor, and say goodbye to their loved one before taking the body to its final resting place.

All BAH services* are free of charge and confidential. Contact 802-257-0775 or info@brattleborohospice.org. *We do not provide medical care.