The Difference Between a Funeral Home and Mortuary

When making plans for a loved one, the needs of each family is different.  When deciding whether to use a mortuary or funeral home, there are a few  items to consider.  First, one of the biggest differences between a funeral home and mortuary is on-site cremation.  If you and your loved one have chosen cremation, something to understand is that a mortuary typically offers on-site cremation and may be the best choice.  Funeral homes will give you the same option, but will likely ship the deceased to another facility for the cremation. However, Mountain View Funeral Home offers on-site cremation and your loved one will never leave our facility.

Another item to think about is the level of support and family care that you may need throughout this difficult process.  At a funeral home, the funeral director is not only trained in the business aspect of this industry, but also in grief counseling.  The burial preparation services are similar in both the mortuary and funeral home, but funeral homes will typically provide more emotional support throughout the process.  In a mortuary, the mortuary director is educated in mortuary sciences and will typically perform the burial preparation, as more emphasis is put on the preparation of the deceased, rather than the emotional aspect.

A third difference between a mortuary and funeral home is how many visitors are typically allowed.  Funeral homes have larger areas where services can be held and public viewings also take place.  A mortuary, however, usually does not have these facilities and viewings are closed and are attended only by the family members.

Lastly, but not least, states have different requirements in handling the deceased person.  Some states require that a funeral director be involved in the handling of the deceased, therefore, even if you choose to use a mortuary, a funeral home may need to be involved in some capacity.  At Mountain View, we are a full-service funeral home with on-site cremation, so we can take care of making all of your arrangements for you.  There is no need to go anywhere else to take care of your funeral arrangement needs.

Contact Mountain View Funeral Home and let us help you navigate through this process and make the best decisions for you and your family.