Cooling the body

• Place the body in the coolest room available, away from sun and heaters
• Open a window if the weather is cool
• Place bags of ice or gel packs around the torso (under a towel, on top of the body) — especially the abdomen and chest
• Change the ice every 8–12 hours
• A fan directed over the body helps
• Keep the room well-ventilated

This approach works well for 2–3 days in most Australian climates. In hot weather, it's harder — consider air conditioning turned low, or more ice.

Some home funeral services and death doulas hire out gel cooling mats or cooling blankets that sit on the bed underneath the body. These are reusable, quiet, and effective for up to 3 days without needing ice changes.

• Ask your local natural death care provider or death doula about availability
• The Natural Death Advocacy Network (NDAN) can help you find someone — ndan.com.au
• Some funeral directors also offer cooling equipment hire
• Cooling mats work well in combination with air conditioning or a fan

Dry ice is extremely effective at cooling a body and is available from industrial gas suppliers in most Australian cities. Handle with heavy gloves (it burns skin). Place slabs around the torso on a towel. It sublimes without liquid mess.

The body should feel cool to the touch. There should be no strong smell. If the abdomen begins to swell or a noticeable odour develops, add more ice, improve ventilation, or consider transferring the body to a funeral director's care.

If you're unsure, a home funeral guide or death doula can come to your home and help with cooling, positioning, and all the practical questions. The Natural Death Advocacy Network (NDAN) maintains a directory at ndan.com.au.