A morgue is a refrigerated facility where bodies are stored until they can be identified, released to a funeral home, or cremated. Funeral homes focus on preparing the body for burial or cremation and provide viewing space and memorial services.
Standalone mortuaries are bare-bones operations that only offer autopsy and embalming. They do not provide burial or cremation services.
What is a mortuary?
Many people assume that mortuaries are bare-bones operations that focus solely on the dead body. However, that’s not necessarily true. Some mortuaries, like Myers Mortuary in Utah and Hart’s in Georgia, offer full funeral services in addition to on-site cremation.
Other mortuaries focus solely on preparing bodies for burial or cremation. This may include washing, disinfecting and dressing the body, securing or packing openings, embalming, and on-site cremation.
Some mortuaries are attached to hospitals or police departments, while others are independent. Coroners investigate reportable deaths and typically work in a morgue.
What is a morgue?
A morgue is a facility that holds the bodies of unidentified dead individuals until they can be claimed by a funeral home or family member. It performs autopsies and embalming services. Some mortuaries also provide cremation services, though this is less common.
While working in a mortuary can be a grim experience, it serves important functions. These include assisting law enforcement in criminal investigations, providing medical information about the cause of death to patients and their families, and advancing forensic science.
Most hospitals have a morgue where they store recently deceased patients. However, these areas are not always clean and may be contaminated with the DNA of previous autopsies or samples taken from murder victims.
What is a funeral home?
Traditionally, funeral homes are large buildings that serve as a central hub for storing and caring for the body of the deceased before the funeral service. They may offer services like visiting hours, meals of condolence, a place for people to pay their respects and other support.
When making arrangements for a funeral, most families will meet with a funeral director at the funeral home or, in some cases, over the telephone. This meeting is known as an arrangement conference. It is a legally required appointment that gives the funeral home the opportunity to present their merchandise and services to you.
What is a mortuary assistant?
A mortuary assistant is a trainee who works under the supervision of a mortician. They assist with various tasks, such as embalming and preparing remains for funerals. They may also assist with cremation and transport caskets to and from a funeral home or a cemetery.
Rebecca Owens is a recent graduate of mortuary school and has begun working at River Fields Mortuary under her boss, Raymond Delver. Her grandmother is worried about the place because of rumors of occult activity, but Rebecca dismisses them as nonsense.
During the Night Shift, players must quickly perform all of their duties while keeping in mind that one of the corpses is possessed and getting worse the longer the player works. The game is chock-full of jump scares and unexpected surprises.
What is a mortuary technician?
A mortuary technician, also known as an anatomical pathology technician (APT), works alongside a pathologist and provides dignified care to the deceased after their death. Their daily duties include preparing bodies for postmortems, assisting at crime scenes, transporting bodies and ensuring the morgue is clean and sterile.
They can also help prepare bodies for funerals by washing, setting features, applying makeup and en-coffining the deceased. They also keep records and ensure health and safety standards are met.
To become a mortuary technician, it is best to find a role in a local mortuary or public mortuary. You can apply for a job as a trainee APT through a mortuary locum agency such as Globe Locums, which is registered with the NHS scheme supporting international health worker mobility.
What is a mortician?
Morticians, also known as embalmers or undertakers, provide comfort to families while preparing a body for funeral services and religious events. They may also help a family choose burial options. Morticians must be able to work with a variety of people from diverse backgrounds.
The first step in becoming a mortician is to complete a mortuary science degree program. Some students choose to apprentice alongside their studies to gain hands-on experience in the industry. Once licensed, they must serve as an empathetic and compassionate presence for families. In addition to preparing bodies for viewing, they are responsible for advising friends and family on legal and financial matters such as filing death certificates and transferring pensions or life insurance policies.
What is a funeral director?
Funeral directors are professionals who help families navigate the many details involved when someone dies. They can assist with coordinating services, writing obituaries, placing a death notice in the newspaper, arranging transportation and making cemetery arrangements.
Additionally, they can help families who wish to have a memorial service or cremation. They can also make pre-need arrangements, which involves completing paperwork and making choices about service preferences, casket or urn selection, and financial planning.
Funeral directors can be distinguished from morticians by their wearing clothes that are not contaminated with embalming fluids and makeup. They are available to answer questions 24 hours a day.