We have launched a new webpage this week, providing updated information for families who wish to care for their own dead at home. We invite you to view this new Home Funeral page:
https://funeralconsumerswmass.org/home-funerals-caring-for-your-own-dead/
Massachusetts has reformed its death registry system from VIP to MAVRIC and re-trained many people in these relevant roles: Board of Health Burial Agents, City and Town Clerks, Medical Certifiers, RN/NP/PA Pronouncers, Funeral Homes, and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The new system went live in June 2025. But there has not been much information for the general public. The older websites we had relied on for instructions to families are now problematic, with broken links and out-dated information. It’s time to move forward, without waiting any longer for corrections to those webpages.
We hope this fresh webpage is helpful to families who wish to provide death care for a loved one at home. Instructions include what information to gather and provide to the Town or City Clerk, who will assist with creating the death record in MAVRIC.