General Chat

My granddaughter in law mum was living at home with carer support in Kent
She had a fall five weeks ago and was hospitalised


Had treatment and some set backs but was ready to be discharged but her carer package had been cancelled and was being difficult to be reinstated especially as she now needed more support


So she languished in hospital just waiting to go home


Then she got COVID and was isolated into but sadly she didn’t make it and passed on Tuesday

Very difficult now to arrange her funeral . Granddaughter in law lives near Doncaster

Older sister lives in north London

Brother lives in Spain

None can travel with the restrictions so how can mum be laid to rest and have family seeing her off

My granddaughter in law is devastated

Very sad

That is so sad, Shirley, especially as she was so near to going home.

I thought people were allowed to travel for close family funerals?

i’m sorry to hear this Shirley. My condolences to your granddaughter in law and her family.

I have recent experience of this as my brother’s funeral was on 8th February. Pretty much all the funeral arrangements can be made by phone and email, and possibly post. Provided the church or crematorium is large enough to allow some distancing 30 people can attend and travel restrictions within the UK are relaxed for travelling to and from funerals. We had 28 people travelling to the crematorium in Essex from various places around the country and the funeral was streamed so those unable to attend could watch it in their own homes.

Of course, we couldn’t hug or chat or have any sort of wake but the experience was a lot better than I expected and I am sure your granddaughter in law and her family will find the same.

It’s so very sad cos I know my granddaughter in law loved her mum

They did have differences and they didn’t always understand each other

But now losing her mum it’s a big thing

... and the brother in Spain may like to attend a Webcast (online) funeral. They work well when one can't attend funerals - I've 'attended' three since last March.

They aren't new. All funeral directors will know about them as the first one I attended was more than a couple of years ago - an uncle's in Northampton.


Edit: Shirley, if y our relatives can't get from Doncaster or Nottingham, they, too, can 'attend' via Webcast.

I know of a recent funeral where at least one person travelled around 200 miles.

Your Mum is a very important person in your life, even if you have your differences. I am sure your granddaughter in law is very unhappy at the moment Shirley. Perhaps helping to arrange the funeral will bring her some comfort.

Our son and dil did a round trip of 500 miles to attend my brother’s 25 minute service as he was close to his uncle and wanted to be there. I saw my son for the first time in 16 months in a crematorium car park in a snowstorm and couldn’t even give him a hug.

The webcams are brilliant. They enable people to “attend”, including those who wouldn’t be able to do so even in normal times. Ours was streamed live and also available for a further 28 days for anyone who couldn’t watch on the day. We know there were family and friends in Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand who watched.

As with Vera speaking from experience it can be done and you can travel for funerals. And the webcast offered is excellent too.

We lost our brother in November and attendance was still restricted

Niece did arrange for the funeral to be online so us sisters could be there in spirit

Our sister in Canada was able to log in too


Bless him he only had 8 close family to send him our love

Shirley we were allowed 30;at my husbands funeral in February.