Two families, one chapel, the same afternoon
On Wednesday afternoon, the chapel of rest diary shows a visit at 2pm for one family and another at 2.30 for a different family. The first family arrive with more relatives than expected and stay longer, as families should be able to. The second family wait in reception. Meanwhile the care team, who were not told about the 2.30 visit until the morning, rushed to have everything ready.
Nobody did anything wrong. The diary simply did not know how long visits take, how many chapels are free or whether the care team had confirmed that the person was ready to be seen.
A diary that does not see the whole picture
Chapel visits sit between the front office, who take the requests, and the care team, who prepare for them. The diary often only serves the front office.
- Visit requests come by phone and are written in a paper diary.
- The care team hear about visits by word of mouth or a note.
- Readiness for viewing is not recorded where the office can see it.
- Several family groups may want separate visits to the same person.
- Some firms have more than one chapel, used informally.
- Visit length is not set, so overlaps are easy.
Why a clash matters
A chapel visit may be the last time a family see someone they love. Being rushed, kept waiting, or arriving before the person is ready is distressing, and the memory lasts. Staff feel it too: nobody wants a family's visit to feel hurried.
The care team need proper time for their work. Visits booked without their knowledge put them under pressure they should not have.
Visit booking that knows who is ready
What we build is a visit schedule for your chapels that the office and the care team share.
- Your chapels are set up with their availability, and you set a default visit length and a gap between visits.
- For each person in your care, the care team mark when they are ready for viewing, with any notes for the office.
- The office books visits only in times when a chapel is free and the person is marked ready, or books provisionally with a note if readiness is expected.
- Several family groups can be booked for the same person, each with its own time, and the family's arranger sees them all.
- The care team see the day's visits on a screen or printed sheet, with who is visiting and any requests, such as a favourite item to be placed.
- Families receive a confirmation with the time, the address, parking and what to expect, in wording you choose.
| Time | Chapel | Visiting | Care team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.00 | Chapel 1 | First family, extended group | Ready, confirmed |
| 2.00 | Chapel 2 | Second family | Ready, confirmed |
| 4.00 | Chapel 1 | Grandchildren of first family | Ready |
| Tomorrow 10.00 | Chapel 1 | Provisional | Readiness expected tonight |
How you prepare and present someone for viewing is entirely your care team's professional judgement. The schedule only makes sure they have the notice and time they need.
The same Wednesday, planned
The two families are booked into different chapels at 2pm because the system saw both were free. The care team confirmed readiness the evening before and knew about both visits. The first family stay as long as they wish. The second family are greeted on arrival and shown straight in.
Are chapel visits a juggling act?
- Chapel visits are booked in a paper diary.
- The care team hear about visits at short notice.
- Families have waited because a chapel was in use.
- Visits have been booked before the person was ready.
- Several family groups visiting the same person are hard to coordinate.