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← Glossary of Funeral Terms

Holding Facility

A holding facility is a secure, refrigerated facility used to care for and store people who have died while they are awaiting the next stage of their arrangements. Unlike a Mortuary, a holding facility is primarily concerned with safe, dignified storage rather than preparation or examination.

More than a room. A holding facility may be a dedicated building or a defined area within larger funeral premises. It provides the infrastructure needed to receive, identify, securely store and later release people into the care of a funeral service provider, cemetery, crematorium or other authorised person or organisation.

Holding only. A holding facility does not necessarily have facilities for embalming, reconstruction, autopsy or other forms of preparation. Its primary purpose is to keep the person in appropriate refrigerated conditions until they can move to the next stage of care.

Not a place for viewing. A holding facility may not be set up for family or friends to visit the person who has died. This distinguishes it from some funeral home mortuaries, which may have dedicated viewing or preparation areas. Whether viewing is possible depends on the facilities and arrangements of the particular provider.

A temporary part of care. People may be kept in a holding facility for a short period while arrangements are being made, while waiting for a burial or cremation, or while other processes are completed. The facility provides continuity of care without implying that further preparation or treatment of the person will take place there.

Different from a mortuary. The terms can sometimes be used interchangeably, but a Mortuary generally describes a broader type of facility that may include storage as well as preparation, viewing, embalming, reconstruction or post-mortem facilities. A holding facility is more specific: it is a place for holding, not for undertaking those additional procedures.

A holding facility is therefore a secure place where a person who has died can be respectfully and appropriately cared for while they await the next stage of their arrangements.