Abstract
The importance of ritual/ceremony following bereavement is well documented, however restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the freedom to bury loved ones according to beliefs/traditions. This study explores the experiences of staff providing funeral services during COVID-19 and considers the implications for supporting bereaved families. Fifty-eight staff (male, 72.4%; n = 42) from 17 counties in Ireland, completed a self-report survey assessing perceived impact of COVID-19, confidence providing services, and challenges and supports for practice during this time. Quantitative findings suggest moderate confidence in service provision and low perception of negative impact from COVID-19, while qualitative results highlight a contrast between a feeling of under-recognition at a policy level and a sense of being appreciated by the public. This study highlights the evolving role of the funeral sector in Ireland in supporting the bereaved, and the potential to capitalise on a genuine interest in contributing more to support beyond the funeral.
Introduction
In December 2019, the first cases of a new and rapidly spreading virus, later named COVID-19, were detected in China. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and went on to characterise the global outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then, until April 2023 there have been over 760 million cases of COVID-19 reported worldwide, including nearly seven million deaths. Ireland recorded its first death from the virus on March 12, 2020, and on that day all schools, colleges, churches, and other public places were closed. Ireland has reported more than 1.7 million cases of the virus and more than 9300 deaths (World Health Organization, 2024).
Much of the research and media reporting has focused on impact on the bereaved, and on nurses, doctors, and other hospital care staff during and following the pandemic. Health care workers (HCWs) represent a cohort who carried a significant burden from the COVID-19 pandemic. A meta-analysis by Gómez-Ochoa et al. (2021) found a higher prevalence of the virus among HCWs when compared with the general population. However, the experiences of funeral service providers, described as “one of the underrecognized “first responders” in the COVID-19 pandemic”, (Bensimon, 2021, p. S57) and how they have responded to the new demands, have received substantially less attention. Early responders, due to their physical and temporal proximity to the death, provide a crucial support to the bereaved (Duval et al., 2023).
In Belgium, Van Overmeire et al. (2022) studied post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) amongst funeral directors after the first wave of COVID-19. The percentage of those with possible PTSS (12.3%) was low compared to those of HCWs and less than a quarter of them feared infection from the virus. Almost half of these had more stress during COVID-19 than before, while one-third experienced no changes and almost 17% experienced less stress during the pandemic than before. Less than a quarter of those surveyed feared infection from COVID-19, but more than 40% of them feared infecting their family and friends.
In addition to the impact on staff, COVID-19 restrictions impacted on funeral rituals. The importance of ritual and ceremony following bereavement is well documented in the literature (Rumbold et al., 2021). However, restrictions removed the relative freedom, that families previously had, to bury their loved ones according to their beliefs and traditions (Bank et al., 2020). In Ireland, wakes, a well-known part of Irish funeral tradition where family, neighbours and friends came together to celebrate the deceased person’s life, could no longer take place and gatherings in funeral homes were also prohibited. In their guidelines to funeral directors, the Health Services Executive (HSE) stipulated that “the decision to allow an open coffin should be based on an assessment of the potential distress caused to bereaved relatives and friends from not being able to say goodbye, and the potential infection risk” (HSE, 2021, p. 15). Furthermore, embalming, washing the body, and kissing the deceased all ceased, with the HSE guidelines noting funeral directors were to “advise mourners discreetly that they should preferably not kiss the deceased person and should clean their hands after touching them” (p.15).
Funeral directors were advised to organise services by phone and to avoid direct contact with any family member identified as being a close contact of the deceased. People had to be informed privately of funeral arrangements as death notices were not allowed to publish times or venues of the funeral. Government guidelines advised, where possible, that close contacts and relatives of the deceased use their own transport for attendance at the funeral and banned all post-funeral gatherings. Funeral services and graveside attendances were limited to no more than 10 people. At these funerals social distancing had to be observed so, shaking hands, hugging, and embracing all disappeared to reduce the risk of infection from close contact between mourners (HSE, 2021). The traditional shouldering of the coffin had to be suspended due to the requirements of social distancing, resulting in the body of the deceased being brought from the hearse to the graveside by trolley. In some cases, the deceased person was afforded no service at all but was transferred straight from hospital to the crematorium. Signing the book of condolences was no longer a feature due to the risks of infection and people were recommended to send condolences through social media, online websites, text or by letter.
Since funeral directors were in the position of enforcing government regulations, they were continuously placed in a sensitive situation with the families of the deceased, and in Ireland particularly, this created a profound change in how they traditionally interacted with the bereaved. It was not until October 20, 2020, following much public pressure, that Government increased attendance at funerals to 25. It is perhaps not surprising that, in the absence of the traditional funeral facilitated by the funeral director new, private rituals emerged such as mourners lining the road outside the cemetery to pay their respects. Research by the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF, 2023), which conducted a survey of 2259 people, highlights the negative impact of restrictions on the experience of death, dying and bereavement, but also the extent to which these new rituals were welcomed. Nevertheless, the restrictions placed on funeral practices because of COVID-19 and the subsequent rise of informal memorialisation rituals have served to blur the interface between the roles of the bereaved community and formal industry service providers (Lowe et al., 2021).
Funeral directors have been identified, pre-pandemic, as among the top three sources of bereavement support, after family and friends. (Aoun et al., 2015). Their study notes, however, that it is unclear whether the level of perceived support received is because funeral directors provided a formalised after-care service or whether the quality of the relatively brief involvement during the immediate post-death period accounted for the lasting positive effect. The pandemic limited the sources of support usually available to the bereaved, making the role of funeral directors even more relevant (Burrell & Selman, 2022). The restrictions of the pandemic prevented funeral personnel from being supportive to the families as they would have in earlier times. However, it is worth noting, that pre-pandemic, where the bereaved were free to choose what best suited them, a study by Birrell et al. (2020) found no association between levels of grief and the elaborateness of the cremation ceremony.
A scoping review, which explored the use of virtual funerals during the COVID-19 pandemic, reported that virtual funeral practices have highlighted the resilience of families and communities during the grieving process, and their ability to find new avenues of meaning despite the social distancing requirements (MacNeil et al., 2021). However, the study also notes that the increased dependence on the use of virtual funerals posed greater challenges on the funeral industry. The review found that opinions varied regarding the effectiveness of the use of technology in the conducting of funerals. On the one hand, accessibility was lauded while, on the other, concerns regarding the infringement on emotional connection was noted. One clear advantage mentioned was the ability of a virtual funeral to reach large, global audiences who could not otherwise attend and concluded that the popularity of this aspect would continue, post-pandemic.
The study by Lowe et al. (2021) mentioned earlier concluded that a blending of traditional, public, and newly emerging, private forms of memorialisation are likely to continue in the post-pandemic world. This may result in new role definition for funeral directors and so require some navigation. Reaching a new understanding of the experiences of funeral directors during the COVID-19 pandemic would inform how this group of grief practitioners could be more included as essential voices in future death conversations.
The Present Study
In Ireland in particular, the funeral has always been an important social ritual. As McCann (2020, p. 1) has described it, “Death is no hushed whisper in Ireland. It’s a rallying cry to a whole community”. COVID-19 severely impacted this ritual, and, within this context, the aims of this study are (i) to explore the experiences and perceptions of staff in funeral service providers of providing funeral services during COVID-19, and (ii) to consider the implications of this experience for supporting bereaved families in the future. Recognising the lack of research on this population, the research is framed as exploratory, and the following research questions are addressed: • What is the perception of funeral service providers of the impact of COVID-19 on them and their work? • What is the level of confidence among funeral service providers in meeting the needs of bereaved individuals/families following the death of a family member during COVID-19? • What factors supported and challenged the work of funeral service providers during COVID-19?
Methodology
Research Design
The study adopted a cluster population survey design, whereby the population of interest were companies providing funeral services in Ireland who were members of the Irish Association of Funeral Directors (IAFD), with individual companies treated as individual clusters. A mixed-methods approach was employed, with quantitative and qualitative data on the impact of COVID-19 on bereavement gathered using a self-report survey.
Participants and Sampling
An exhaustive sampling approach was adopted using membership of the IAFD as the population. A sampling frame of all companies providing funeral services who were members of the IAFD was generated using publicly available material. This resulted in a list of 249 individual directors, companies, or regional/local offices of larger companies. IAFD members conduct 80% of funerals on the island of Ireland (IAFD, nd, https://www.iafd.ie/). It is possible that humanistic funerals or less traditional ones are under-represented in the sample. It must be noted that The Humanist Association of Ireland (HAI) is an Associate Member of the IAFD.
Recruitment generated a volunteer response of 80 individuals, however non-consenters and entries with 100% missing data were excluded (participants had to have provided at least partial demographic information to be included), and so a final sample of 58 was identified.
Age Profile of Survey Participants.
Length of Time Participants are in the Profession.
A large proportion of the sample were members of the IAFD (89.6%, n = 52), though 39.6% (n = 23) reported multiple memberships. Finally, participants were asked about any qualifications, awards, or certification they had received. Just over one-third of the sample responded (37.1%, n = 23), with the IAFD certificate in funeral directing, or equivalent, the most common response (n = 13).
Materials
A mixed methods self-report survey was developed for the purpose of the study. The survey included open (qualitative) and closed (quantitative) questions designed to gather information on participants (i.e., age, gender identity, role, nature of employment, training experience), as well as recording their experience of working in this sector and delivering professional services during the period of COVID-19 restrictions. Two scales were included to assess the perceived impact of COVID-19 and participants’ confidence working during the period of restrictions.
The impact scale was developed based on Ehlers’ (2021) study of organizational leadership in funerals during the pandemic. The version used in this study includes 20 items examining the impact on the respondent, the organisation, and bereaved families using a five-point Likert scale response (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree) and allows for the calculation of average impact between 1 and 5. Eighteen of the items are positively worded and were reversed to ensure that a higher score is indicative of greater negative impact. Sample items included: • My organisation reacted effectively to the restrictions imposed on the movement of people and goods imposed by the pandemic. • Overall, my organization was able to function at an effectual level despite the impact of the pandemic. • During the COVID-19 Pandemic, saying goodbye to a loved one in an online environment was equivalent to being physically present at a funeral service.
Initial tests of internal reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha suggested the internal consistency is acceptable (Alpha = 0.758). While it is common to set a minimum ratio of cases to items for calculation of Alpha at 10:1, there is significant discussion in the literature regarding minimum requirements for this analysis. However, Sevinc Puren and Alparslan (2022) suggest that the sample size should be at least 45, as is the case in this study.
In addition to this overall impact score, a subscale reflecting the impact of COVID-19 on the individual’s work (as distinct from the impact on the organisation) was identified. This included 13 items such as • During the COVID-19 pandemic I was well-informed on the safety precautions necessary to perform my job duties in an effectual manner. • I was able to keep up with the demands of my job in a satisfactory manner during COVID-19.
The subscale had acceptable internal reliability (Alpha = 0.768). Again, the items allow for the calculation of average impact between 1 and 5.
The confidence scale was developed based on James et al.’s (2022) study of experience providing funeral services after the death of a child, with the items adapted to reflect confidence in delivering funeral services following a death during the pandemic. It includes 12 items using a five-point Likert scale response (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree). Higher scores are indicative of greater confidence and a calculation of average confidence between 1 and 5 is possible. Initial tests of internal reliability using Cronbach’s Alpha suggested the internal consistency is high (Alpha = 0.931).
As an initial test of convergent validity of these measures, we hypothesized that if the scales were measuring the concepts they were assumed to measure, there should be negative correlation between confidence and impact. Pearson’s correlations were used to examine the relationship between perceived impact (Total and Personal) and reported confidence. A moderate negative association with confidence was found for both Total Impact (r = −0.585, p < .001) and Personal Impact (r = −0.478, p < .001), suggesting that higher impact was associated with lower confidence as was expected. This provides some support for the validity of the scales.
Finally, four open ended questions were included to explore participants’ views in more detail. • What have you found most challenging in caring for a family grieving a death during COVID-19? • What have you found most helpful in caring for a family grieving a death during COVID-19? • Reflecting on your experience of working during COVID-19, what if any, are the lessons that will have a longer-term impact on your practice and/or the practice within the sector? • Please provide any tips/advice regarding the death of an individual during COVID-19 that might be useful to others in the funeral profession.
These data were analysed using content analysis (Guerin & Hennessy, 2002) to identify core themes. Participants’ responses to open-ended questions were combined to allow for examination of the comments in the context of addressing the third research question, the factors that supported and challenged participants’ work during COVID-19. The process was inductive, with the first author reviewing the data with the aim of generating themes that captured the main supports and challenges experienced by participants. This process of interpretation was iterative, with an initial phase of coding identifying lower-level concepts evident in the data before a review phase saw the first author consider patterns of convergence and divergence at the level of codes, in order to generate higher level themes. For example, initial codes such as ‘lack of government support’, ‘being undervalued’, ‘funeral directors on their own’, ‘lack of recognition of funeral directors’, were combined to generate the theme, Funeral Directors’ sense of being undervalued and unrecognised at a policy level, while receiving enhanced appreciation for their work in difficult circumstances from those bereaved. This process was supported by reflective discussions with the second author, who reviewed the data independently to support consideration of the first author’s interpretation of the data.
Procedure
An email invitation was issued to all contacts identified and the study was advertised on social media to raise awareness. A second prompt was emailed after two weeks, with larger providers contacted by phone to confirm the invitation had been received.
Ethical Considerations
As participants were being invited to share their professional experience of working during COVID-19 restrictions, the study was submitted to the University College Dublin Human Research Ethics Committee - Humanities Subcommittee as an exemption from full review (HS-E-22–82-Guerin). The key issues addressed in the implementation of the study was ensuring fully informed consent and data security.
Results
Provision of Resources and Follow up.
Perceived Impact of COVID-19 & Confidence
In assessing their ability to function at a high level during the pandemic, most participants agreed/strongly agreed with this view (86.5%, n = 45), while almost all (92.3%, n = 48) agreed/strongly agreed that their organisation was able to function effectively during this period.
Summary Descriptives for Impact and Confidence Scales.
Responses to Whether Previous Training has Prepared Them to Support Families.
Factors Impacting Work during COVID-19
Themes Extracted From Open-Ended Responses, With Reported Frequency.
Unrecognised by Policy, Appreciated by the Public
The first of these themes illustrates FDs’ sense of being underacknowledged at a policy level as first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This quote from one of them summarises their sense of frustration and disappointment: “As anticipated, at the beginning, there was complete disdain and contempt for funeral service, until the government woke up and realised that they had no idea of what we do, or how we manage to function and soon realised, that if we ‘broke’ it would have been complete carnage. Of course, funeral companies were still never seen as essential, and we were not even considered to be added to the early vaccine list.”
This sense of being under-recognised was manifested in a variety of ways: FDs reported not being eligible for early vaccination and the inadequate provision of personal protective equipment, for example. As one FD put it, “Funeral Directors were on their own, effectively”. However, juxtaposed with this lack of acknowledgement at policy level, FDs reported increased job satisfaction in being able to be, “a support to families in the most unusual times”, and “to give them more time and be very close and personal with them”. Though there were great demands on the funeral profession due to the pandemic FDs had an awareness of being appreciated for “the extra effort you would put in to try make their loved ones’ funeral a decent send-off, despite the rules that were in place”. Engagement with the public at a time of such global distress gave rise to a role reassessment for FDs, where they realised “that [they] were not just doing a job but providing a worthwhile service to the bereaved and the wider community”. One comment suggests that there may be a lasting legacy of this in society at large as, post-pandemic, “families in general seem more relaxed now, and maybe not as demanding […] and appreciate what we now have again”. Some FDs also experienced a new sense of competence when engaging with bereaved people during the pandemic, noting that “it was good to be able to explain why restrictions were necessary and to show families that you had the ability to answer any questions they may have had”.
Sources of Discomfort for Funeral Directors
Simultaneously, with this sense of being undervalued, the FDs reported unease both with having to conduct funerals within social distancing restrictions and having the responsibility of communicating and enforcing these restrictions to the bereaved families. This comment from one FD brings into sharp focus the pressures under which they worked: “We went to hospital morgues and handed in an empty coffin. We were not allowed access to the mortuary. We were handed back a sealed coffin which contained a person in a body bag (sometimes two bags) - no dressing, washing or preparation of the remains, no sense of the dignity which we all took for granted. I will never forget the wife of the deceased asking me if I could put her mind at ease by confirming her husband was in the coffin. Obviously, I did not see him being placed and I could not open the sealed coffin. All I could give her was a name tag in a sealed bag that I asked the attendant to remove on arrival to hospital”.
Communicating the restrictions regarding numbers of attendees at a funeral was difficult for the FDs also. They noted that the limited numbers meant that closer friends were not able to be there to support, as family members were included first, regardless of closeness to deceased. Communication of the guidelines to older relatives was particularly challenging for the FDs as “they were being asked to break with the traditions of a lifetime”. Some pressure of having to be consistent in their enforcement was also in evidence. For example, one participant reported, “Some families pushed it too far, at times, and tried to ignore the guidelines, which was very hard for the Funeral Director who had to try and rein it all in. If you deviated, the next family was very quick to say – well, you allowed the other people do it!!” Even though they had the responsibility for their enforcement, the FDs had to clarify that the guidelines were driven by Government and not by the funeral directors themselves.
The Comfort and Limitations of Technology
They reported an acceleration in the use of technology to live stream funerals, acknowledging its benefits in allowing sentiment to still be conveyed and enabling people to be connected, though physically separated. They also thought it would play an important and increasing role at funerals, post-pandemic, citing advantages such as accessibility and affordability and the availability of an online condolence book, “The facility in most churches (not all) to offer an online viewing of the funeral service was, and still remains helpful-it’s here to stay, together with the online condolence book”. Though the benefits of being able to have facetime with a person or speak with them via Zoom were acknowledged, it was also noted that “having funeral arrangements made remotely (e.g. by telephone) and not face to face” was difficult for some FDs. It is fair to say that in general they took a balanced view of the use of technology as illustrated by the following contribution, “The benefit of streaming services for those who would previously have felt pressure to travel for a funeral - streaming is very beneficial, once it’s optional and not THE only way to attend”.
The Impact of Changing Ritual
Overall, the findings from open-ended questions suggest that the FDs see the landscape of Irish funerals permanently altered, as a result of the COVID-19 experience. Though they fully recognised that the imposed restrictions caused hardship to some, they also noted benefits in that “Funerals became simpler, more private events - maybe not a bad thing for some families. That said the ‘full circus’ has largely returned”. Many told them that the funeral with only ten people was deeply personal for the core family and that it was sometimes a relief not to have to deal with the general public and post-funeral hospitality. As one FD commented “Some families preferred the more intimate nature of a COVID funeral and the presence of close family and friends was deemed to be far more important than large crowds, albeit well meaning, calling to the house/funeral home. This was reflected across all age groups”.
Opposing views on the importance of the Irish wake were put forward. On the one hand it was seen as an essential component, emphasising “the extraordinary dedication of the embalming profession to do all they could for the deceased and by extension the families of the deceased”. On the other hand, it was noted that “Families sometimes benefit from being given space in the days after a death. Sometimes they can feel overwhelmed by large crowds for wakes etc. […] and not as much is expected from the public since the pandemic”. Though it was recognised that the privacy afforded by restricted numbers at funerals “was appreciated by families who preferred an intimate grieving occasion”, these same restrictions sometimes impeded the way FDs were able to give comfort to bereaved people. In some cases, this inability to engage as they would usually do, was found to be impactful on FDs, especially when working with families “who had very little community or even extended family support due to restrictions”.
Duty of Care to Staff
The requirements imposed on funerals by COVID-19 served to highlight that staff care was an important consideration for the FDs. Technology was regarded as being important for the wellbeing of the FDs in the context of a pandemic, “Personal safety is paramount as you can’t do your work if you get ill. Technology can lessen personal contact without impacting on a good service”. As one respondent put it “Our duty of care to clients is only surpassed by our duty of care to our staff”. Dealing with COVID-19 brought a heightened awareness of the ongoing need to ensure the personal health and safety of funeral staff, “In future, it is important to have an infectious case protocol in place for transporting and caring for the deceased. COVID is only one of many infectious diseases which we deal with, on a daily basis, and the protocol should be same for all”. The need, in future, for FDs to be vaccinated straight away in the event of another pandemic, to have immediate access to proper PPE and to have procedures in place, with staff fully briefed on these procedures, was also stressed, to maximise their safety.
Discussion
The aims of this study were (i) to explore the experiences and perceptions of staff in funeral service providers of providing funeral services during COVID-19, and (ii) to consider the implications of this experience for future practice supporting bereaved families. Three research questions were addressed in meeting these aims, and the findings are synthesised here.
What is the perception of funeral service providers of the impact of COVID-19
On them and their work? What is the level of confidence among funeral service providers in meeting the needs of bereavement individuals/families following the death of a family member during COVID-19?
There is clear evidence across the findings that funeral staff completing the survey perceived moderate to small negative impacts on them and their work during COVID-19. They reported that they individually, and their organisations worked to an effective level during this period, with moderate scores for both the overall impact of COVID-19 and the individual impact, as assessed by the scales included in the survey. This is perhaps linked to the moderate to higher levels of confidence participants reported feeling during this period. In contrast, the qualitative results highlight a feeling among participants that they were under-recognised at a systemic and policy level. However, alongside this under-recognition was their sense of being more appreciated by the public for the support they were able to provide. This echoes the findings of Mitima-Verloop et al. where those bereaved regarded the funeral service as positive, “because it was the best way possible at that time” (2022, p.6). Several participants specifically mentioned the lack of recognition of staff in the funeral sector as first responders.
What factors supported and challenged the work of funeral service providers during COVID-19?
The aforementioned lack of recognition presented a challenge, especially as it was coupled with lack of access to appropriate PPE. Moreover, having the responsibility of implementing and indeed enforcing restrictions, not of their making, added a layer of complexity to the funeral directors’ role. These restrictions fundamentally changed the public’s experience of death and the rituals surrounding it. However, in line with other findings (Burrell & Selman, 2022) funeral directors in this study demonstrated great resilience, an ability to adapt to the restrictions and to respond creatively to the needs of the bereaved in difficult circumstances. In adapting their procedures, there is clear evidence of learning about new rituals and processes that may have positive impacts for bereaved individuals and families. They noted that in many cases the restrictions on numbers attending afforded relief to the bereaved and resulted in the funeral being a more intimate experience. This resonates with the findings of a New Zealand study which reported that the pandemic provided licence to reimagine funeral practices and rituals and was experienced by many as a blessing (Long et al., 2022). Similarly, a study by Buckley et al. (2023), exploring the experiences of counsellors and psychotherapists of supporting people who were bereaved during COVID-19, reported that the restrictions afforded protection from others to the chief mourners and relieved them of the social pressures usually associated with funerals in Ireland. During the pandemic the use of technology was invaluable to funeral directors. It allowed them to make funeral arrangements remotely, to live-stream funeral services and to provide virtual books of condolence, all of which enhanced their ability to support the bereaved in difficult circumstances.
Strengths and Limitations
While the present study offers a novel insight into the role and experience of funeral directors in Ireland during COVID-19, there are some limitations to consider. In the first instance, the sampling frame only targeted companies who were members of the IAFD and in addition, the response rate was low. These factors combined reduce the generalisability of the findings. Despite this, there is good variation in geographical location, with 17 of 26 counties represented. In addition, the sample shows variation in age, gender, and experience. The fact that the largest proportion of the sample were experienced funeral directors, supports their capacity to comment on the industry. While this study examines the perspectives of these professionals rather than bereaved individuals themselves, the findings of the Time to Reflect study reported in the introduction (IHF, 2023) echoed some of the findings of the current study.
On balance, we are confident that the methodology employed allowed us to capture the views and experiences of participants with knowledge of the funeral sector in Ireland. Sim’s (1998) principle of theoretical generalisability suggests that qualitative findings can be “transferred to other settings which have similarities to the context in which the data were gathered” (p. 351). Therefore, the research provides a transferable insight into the experience of funeral directors, with the ability to consider the implications for the wider international research and bereavement community.
Implications & Conclusion
While COVID-19 restrictions were punitive for some, it is also the case that they have been pivotal in accelerating the reimagining of funerary practices, in Ireland and elsewhere. Godved et al. (2022) note that, pre-pandemic in the Danish context, “internal forces were insufficient to shift deathcare into the digital age” (p.119). However, the extent to which these changes will persist post-pandemic has yet to be determined. Though the scaling down of funerals was linked to greater intimacy for some people, it seems unlikely to continue. The increased accessibility afforded by the live streaming of funerals appears to be a lasting innovation. However, research by Riley et al. (2023), which suggests an ongoing role for hybrid funerals, also reports that in the UK, while 69% of funerals were streamed in 2021, this had reduced to 37% in 2022. This current study highlights the evolving role of the funeral sector and funeral directors in Ireland in supporting bereaved individuals, families, and communities. One of the clear implications for practice is the potential to capitalise on both the adaptability of the sector and the genuine interest in being a more formal part of the support system around bereavement beyond the funeral. Those working in the funeral sector are a relatively untapped, well-positioned resource to raise awareness, signpost information and promote access to bereavement supports. How best to move towards this reality requires further research and engagement with the sector, the public, and the wider bereavement support services.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Data Availability Statement
Due to ethics restrictions raw data cannot be provided. However authors will provide additional sample data in response to reasonable requests.