FEMA Funeral Assistance Program
Have you lost a loved one to COVID-19?
FEMA Funeral Assistance Program may be able to help will part of the cost.
Click here for more information and how to apply:
https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance
How Does COVID-19 Affect Funerals?
Losing a loved one is always incredibly difficult, but losing a loved one in the midst of a global pandemic makes the experience even more challenging.
Olive Tree Mortuary remains deeply committed to providing excellent service while safeguarding the health of your family, our community, and our staff. The current COVID-19 situation has a significant impact on funerals, as well as on preparations for burial or cremation.
Olive Tree Mortuary is following the most conservative safety guidelines.
Based upon guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Olive Tree Mortuary, as well as all other responsible mortuaries, has temporarily instituted the following policies. We will:
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- Continue to provide essential mortuary and cemetery services. This includes removal and transportation of your loved one’s body; telephone consultations with you and your family; and direct burial and cremation services.
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- Pick up remains from the hospital morgue. If a loved one dies in a hospital, we will only be able to pick up the remains from the hospital morgue—not from the hospital room. Please be aware that this may require extended wait times depending upon the morgue’s protocol.
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- Pick up remains from your home. If a loved one dies at home, we request that the family wrap the body in a clean sheet before we arrive to pick it up. We will then follow infection control guidelines as we remove the body for transportation to our facility.
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- Conduct all consultations remotely. Due to the prohibition on in-person meetings and gatherings, we will “meet” with your family remotely and make all arrangements over the phone. You can reach Olive Tree Mortuary at (714) 739-1961. All of the paperwork will then be provided to you electronically. All forms and contracts must be signed and submitted electronically via email to info@olivetreemortuary.com.
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- Refrain from hosting gatherings at our facilities. To protect your health and that of our staff, we are temporarily unable to provide traditional funeral, memorialization, and visitation gatherings in our facilities, which are temporarily closed to the public.
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- Assist you in scheduling memorial services. After meeting your immediate needs for burial or cremation, we can help you schedule memorialization services for a later date (i.e. after the COVID-19 restrictions are no longer necessary).
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- Adjust religious body preparation customs as appropriate. Any prayers will be conducted at the cemetery instead of the mortuary. For Muslim families, Tayammum may be performed instead of Ghusl. Jewish families are advised to speak with their Rabbi for guidance. Some might choose to use this new ritual created by Rabbi Lynn Greenhough for when no Tahara can be performed. It provides “completion” by offering a taharah-like ritual at the gravesite perhaps long after burial, when it is safe to gather.
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- Remains must be buried in a sealed casket at most cemeteries. Your family cannot have any contact with the remains or the casket. Only mortuary staff can lower the remains into the grave.
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- Shipping of human remains overseas may be delayed. This will depend on airport and governmental restrictions, as well as the availability of flights to the desired destination.
These new policies will be in effect until further notice and are subject to change as the current situation evolves.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Olive Tree Mortuary is committed to helping families honor their loved ones in meaningful ways, while ensuring the safety of you, your family and your friends. If you are unable to hold a funeral for your loved one, your options include:
- Have a direct burial at a cemetery outside of Los Angeles County that is attended only by immediate family (less than ten persons). Note that this is not currently an option in Los Angeles County, and may not be an option in other areas, either.
- Have the cemetery assist you in creating a virtual funeral that is livestreamed via teleconferencing technology.
- Utilize technology to create virtual gatherings via Facetime or videoconferencing to support one another during this difficult time.
Note that funeral homes have local, state and federal guidelines that need to be followed regarding deaths that occur during this time, with some states and localities banning funerals entirely. There are also guidelines that need to be followed when the individual has died, or may have died, of COVID-19. These guidelines are in place to ensure the health and wellbeing of you, your family, our staff, and the community.
Things change on a daily basis, so speak with your funeral director for the most up-to-date information.
We typically allow and encourage families to have an unembalmed viewing or I.D. for the immediate family members. Due to the current situation, however, we are temporarily suspending this practice for the protection of family members and our staff.
For most people, having a funeral is an essential part of the grieving process. During a global pandemic, people will continue to feel their grief but will have fewer options to express it and find support. Coupled with the emotional fatigue, anxiety and fear that are rampant right now, grief can seem overwhelming.
The possibility of delaying a funeral or memorial service can be complicated in some religious traditions. Funerals for Muslims, for example, are supposed to take place as quickly as possible, with preparations including washing and shrouding. Muslim funerals represent a transition to the hereafter, and attendance by the deceased’s family is important.
Families must not be deprived of their right to mourn because the timing of the death is overshadowed by circumstances. Please be assured that we are working to provide alternatives and options to meet the needs of families during their time of loss.
Olive Tree Mortuary will adhere to all religious requirements, including shrouding and preparing the deceased. However, due to state and county government restrictions that mandate a distance of at least six feet between persons, the family cannot be present during the preparation of their loved one. These measures have been placed in effect to protect you, your family, our staff and the community during this unprecedented global health crisis.
Tayammum will be performed instead of Ghusl during the pandemic. Burial will be done as soon as possible, taking all necessary precautions. The problem right now is not the presence of the body, but the gathering of living people, which is the essence of what we instinctively do at a time of loss. Temporarily changing our customs and emotional responses is necessary to protect lives. Every effort must be made to stop the spread of the virus.
- Check in with grieving family members and friends often by phone. Invite them to tell you stories about their loved one and share stories of your own. Making personal connections with people who have recently experienced a loss is very beneficial as they begin to adjust to a world without their loved one. In addition, under normal circumstances, grief can be a very isolating experience. It is even more so now, given social distancing guidelines and people choosing to isolate themselves. Staying connected can make all the difference in the world to someone who is grieving.
- Submit an obituary to be featured on Olive Tree Mortuary’s website. Comment on the obituary with a fond memory.
- Make a donation in the individual’s name and include a personal note to the family about your donation.
- Send the family an email about a memory you have of the individual or how that individual had an impact on your life.
- Make an offer to have the family or friends of the loved one over for dinner once social distancing is no longer required. Make sure you remember to follow through on your offer, even if it is months from now.
- Offer to have food delivered to their home.
