There are an estimated 19,136 funeral homes in America. They may seem to be quiet places of serenity, but behind the scenes, a beehive of activity is happening. The YouTube channel of The Day newspaper looks at what goes on inside of a funeral home.
Funeral homes often have several vehicles to maintain, including at least one hearse. Many funeral homes provide limousines for the family. They also have a transport van, or a vehicle solely devoted to moving a body from where it died to the funeral home. The garage sometimes houses a refrigeration unit for corpses that do not need to be embalmed.
The other refrigeration unit is in the embalming room. This is similar to a surgical theater. Fluid is drained from a corpse down a drain while embalming fluid is pumped in by a special machine. The embalming room is kept spotlessly clean.
The embalmed corpse is then dressed, given make-up, hair styling, and is dressed. It is then placed in the chosen casket, then transported to the viewing room.
Cremated remains can be shipped anywhere in the country. The proper shipping materials and crates are stored at the funeral home, along with file cabinets full of paperwork. Other rooms in a funeral home include a work room where ashes of the deceased are transferred to urns.
