Digital funeral guide helps families navigate first decisions

A new online funeral guide is being tested in four Swiss municipalities to help relatives manage practical decisions after a death. SRF reports that the platform explains burial options and helps families prepare for discussions with municipal authorities.

The guide is being piloted in Thalwil and Illnau-Effretikon in the canton of Zurich, Menzingen in the canton of Zug, and Muri in the canton of Aargau. It outlines the options available in each municipality and is free for the pilot communities. Foundation contributions are funding the project.

The platform was developed by Fabian Biasio, founder of the information platform Letzte Reise. He said the idea came after his father died in the palliative care ward at University Hospital Zurich. Biasio realised then how little he knew about what happens after a death.

The guide is intended to offer initial direction, with information available at any time rather than only during municipal office hours.

Thalwil funeral office head Marcel Frei said relatives are often overwhelmed and unsure what to do next. Even choosing between cremation and burial can be difficult, and family members may disagree about what the deceased would have wanted. The office sometimes has to mediate, he said.

Zurich funeral director Urs Gerber said relatives can also feel uncertain about small details, such as what clothes the deceased should wear. He sees this as a sign that death has largely disappeared from everyday life. Families often have not discussed their wishes for a funeral or memorial service before someone dies.

The guide cannot prevent disagreements within families, but it can answer practical questions and help relatives prepare for conversations with authorities and funeral companies.