HOME FUNERALS and NATURAL BURIAL
Families have the right and the support from the state of New Mexico to a range of options in caring for their deceased loved ones.
We are fortunate on the one hand to have a full range of services offered by the funeral industry in our state. This option has been and continues to be in most cases a one-stop-provides-all approach to caring for the dead; and there are individuals and families who will not consider any other option. They can afford to and have the right to all that is offered by the funeral industry to care for and memorialize the deceased.
On the other hand, some funeral homes are beginning to offer a welcome development, providinga lower cost and selective range of services where consumers can pick and choose what is important to them and their situation. Many of these funeral homes are not only concerned with helping families access a lower cost funeral service, but are equally concerned about the cost to the environment caused by embalming and cremation.
In addition, there are now funeral homes willing to charge and assist families with at-home death care,filing of the death certificate, and transportation of the deceased to a natural burial cemetery.
And yet, there is a third option for families who wish to do all of the care for their deceased loved one. Families have that right, supported by the state. The state refers to this choice as a Home Funeral or Home Burial. In this case, the body is not embalmed, and if not buried within 24 hours, is kept cooled to retard decomposition. The family or designated agent is then responsible for completing and filing the death certificate with the Bureau of Vital Statistics and securing a transportation permit prior to final disposition (transportation and burial) of the deceased.This filing is greatly facilitated by insuring the medical authority signing the death certificate is registered with the Bureau of Vital Statistics to initiate the filing on-line, thus avoiding the complications associated with securing a paper death certificate from the Bureau.
*To simplify this process, there are several funeral homes who have agreed to complete and file the death certificate for families for a nominal fee.
Home Funerals can follow a broad range of personal choices. They can be centered around the preparation of the body, including washing, dressing, and other rituals; and placing the body in a blanket, shroud, pine or cardboard casket for burial. Home funerals may also include ceremonies in the home or at the natural burial ground.
Natural Burial New Mexico provides La Puerta Natural Burial Ground, available to all families in New Mexico for the burial of loved ones, and is honored to work with families around any of the above choices.
For complete information, please visit naturalburialnewmexico.com