A person who arranges and conducts funeral ceremonies.
While mortuary and funeral home may sound similar, they are distinct organizations with unique service offerings. A mortuary operates primarily in laboratory-like prep rooms and focuses on the mortuary sciences of caring for the body and preparing it for burial or cremation.
What Is a Mortuary?
A mortuary is a place where a body is kept after death until it can be buried or cremated. The body may be embalmed or not, depending on the wishes of the deceased and their family. The person responsible for overseeing the mortuary and preparing the body for burial or cremation is called a mortician.
Mortuary law is a distinct area of legal practice that deals with the regulations surrounding funeral homes, cemeteries and the treatment of human remains after death. It also addresses the rights and responsibilities of funeral directors and families.
While some people think of a mortuary as a bare-bones facility that simply focuses on the preparation and care of a decedent, that’s not necessarily true. Some mortuaries, such as Myers Mortuary in Utah, offer full-service arrangements and a robust preplanning program. However, most mortuaries focus on the care and preparation of the body before it is transferred to a funeral home for visitations, funerals or burial.
The Difference Between a Mortuary and a Funeral Home
The difference between a mortuary and funeral home is important to understand when making arrangements for a loved one. This is because the two locations differ in their services and focus.
Funeral homes provide more complete end-of-life planning and memorialization services than mortuaries. They also offer more emotional support for family members. They often have chapels and public spaces to host viewings and services, while mortuaries do not typically have such facilities.
Additionally, funeral homes are regulated by state and federal laws. These laws ensure that the final disposition of remains is handled respectfully and in accordance with a deceased person’s wishes. Mortuary law is a complex area of law that ensures funeral homes, cemeteries, and other burial-related businesses are held accountable for their practices. They must provide clear pricing information, avoid misleading consumers, and address ethical concerns. This helps protect families and prevent exploitation by funeral home owners. The funeral industry is filled with unscrupulous operators, so it’s important to do your homework and choose a reputable provider.
The Difference Between a Mortuary and a Crematory
A crematorium is the facility where a cremation takes place. This may be part of a funeral home, a separate business or church, or even a private residence. A crematorium features a chamber, sometimes called a retort, where the remains are burned in a high-heat fire for about one to three hours. The cremated ashes are then sorted, and either kept in a basic container or placed into an urn to be returned to the family.
A crematory usually also has a room where caskets, urns and other outer burial containers are on display for families to choose from while making arrangements. Most require that the person(s) making arrangements for a cremation sign paperwork giving the facility permission to proceed.
Mortuary law is a unique field that includes regulations on embalming, burial and cremation, and the operation of funeral homes, cemeteries and crematoriums. It often overlaps with fields such as medical and property law, but has its own distinct focuses.
The Difference Between a Mortuary and a Cemetery
One thing that many customers may not realize is that a mortuary and a cemetery are two separate business entities, for accounting purposes. While some funeral homes also own and operate cemeteries, a mortuary and a cemetery function on completely separate accounting systems and rarely offer discounts to each other’s customers.
Graveyards and cemeteries serve essentially the same purpose: to provide a place for people of all faiths to pay their respects to a loved one who has passed away. This is true whether a person chooses to be buried or cremated.
Traditionally, graveyards were owned and operated by churches, but today they can be owned by anyone. As a result, many graveyards have both consecrated and non-consecrated land for those who prefer a religious or a secular burial. Additionally, some graveyards only allow those who have expressed a desire to be buried there upon their death to be interred there. This is why many people use the terms graveyard and cemetery interchangeably.