How long can I keep the body of a loved one at home after they die?

The legal rules around this are going to vary by state. To know how long you have, I would suggest either calling a local (preferably independent) funeral home, your state mortuary board, death doula or hospice provider. They're going to be able to point you in the right direction on what the particular laws are for your area. Regardless, you'll need to start doing something to keep the body cool — you're actually going to want to do that right away because changes can start happening pretty quickly.