E M Dorman funeral directors in Rutland sees 25 per cent increase in funerals due to coronavirus pandemic

A funeral directors in Rutland has seen its workload increase by around a quarter year on year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

E M Dorman, based in Uppingham, has had to adapt to the ongoing crisis, offering webcam services for locked-down family members and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when visiting care homes and hospitals.

Tom Johnson, assistant funeral director, said he had spoken to some inner city colleagues who say they are up 50 per cent on funerals.

“This is because the cities are more densely populated,” he said. “Here in Rutland the population is smaller and we are generally more rural and spread out, so distancing is easier – perhaps a reason why the spread hasn’t been quite so rapid here.”

He said there had been roughly a 25 per cent increase in funerals conducted by his firm between November 2019 and April 2020 compared to the same period 12 months before.

“There have been stories of some funeral directors doing a month’s work in a week in the cities - it’s a very different picture there. But that’s not to say we haven’t felt the impact here.”

Tom said the pandemic had been especially tough on grieving families, who have been limited to just 10 people attending the funerals of loved ones.

E M Dorman, which has four full-time employees as well as volunteer bearers, has always offered a live webcam service so family and friends can watch the funeral from their homes.

But while this used to be a relatively rare occurrence, used for example when family members live abroad, it is now widespread.

“Funerals are more virtual now as 80 to 90 per cent of family are having to watch a webcast,” said Tom.

“Families have been very understanding of the situation we are all in. The thing we are finding hardest is the lack of contact with them. When they are bereaved and upset, especially when they are coming out of the chapel or crematorium, your instinct is to shake their hand or put an arm around them. You want to sit down and share a cup of tea with them. So when you see someone upset and you can’t console them it’s very difficult.

“Sometimes the first time you meet a family is at the funeral, which would never normally happen. We would much prefer to meet them in the comfort of their own home but like everybody else things are now being done via email or phone.”

Tom said the rise in funerals was likely down to Covid-19 as well as a trend for people with serious illnesses staying away from hospital for fear of contracting the virus and not receiving the potentially life-saving treatment they need.

He said they had also noticed a marked rise in the number of people dying in care homes.

The firm receives daily advice and updates on the pandemic from the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) but they remain in the same position as many other businesses, adapting to the situation in a fluid way.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) was tough to source at the start of the crisis but is now readily available, Tom said.

“Hygiene is paramount,” he said. “Going into a care home or hospital we are going in with full PPE.”

Tom added: “We are doing all we can under the circumstances and we remain here 24/7 to support the families who have lost loved ones, not just to the virus but who have passed away during the pandemic.”

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