When A Loved One Passes Away

Immediately following the death of a loved one, there are many decisions that must be made. At this time, you may find your emotions are heightened, and for that reason, it is a good idea to ask for help in making all the decisions and arrangements. Additionally, the funeral home’s staff is eager to assist you and the family in making the best decisions possible. This information can help guide you and your family through the process.

Contact the Proper Authorities

In all situations if you are unsure of what to do please call the funeral home 24 hours a day, for one of our caring staff to guide you through the process.

Before any arrangements and decisions can be made, a legal pronouncement of death must be declared.

If your loved one dies inside a medical or nursing facility, like a hospital or nursing home, the staff will handle getting this declaration made.

If your loved one dies at home, if they are under the care of hospice, simply call the hospice and request a nurse to respond to make the pronouncement.

However if you loved one is not under the care of hospice, you must call 911 to report the death. The police and emergency medical services will respond, pronounce the death, and make the necessary notifications to the family physician or state medical examiner.

Begin to Make Arrangements

Once your loved one has been declared dead, you and your family can proceed with making any type of funeral arrangements. Your loved one may have pre-planned any type of services, and you and your family should first look into those choices. If your loved one has not made any previous type of arrangements, and you have decided on which funeral home you would like to use for the services, you will contact them and meet with the funeral director, and begin discussing options.

During this time, if the deceased hasn’t made their final wishes known, the family will need to decide if they will bury or cremate the body, and what type of service should be held. These decisions include the time, date and location of any service; what type of casket or urn your loved one needs; drafting an obituary notice; deciding on pallbearers; and make any decisions about the specifics of the service like who the minister will be, what music will be played and who will speak.

As part of the process to begin making the funeral arrangements, if the deceased was active or retired military, contact the Veterans Administration to determine if they offer any death benefits or service options.

Information Funeral Directors May Need

Once you have met the funeral director, they will advise you on any information or paperwork they need for the death certificate or to proceed with making the final arrangements.

Information Required:

Full name and address
Marital status
Race/Ethnicity
Date and city of birth
Highest level of education
Father's name
Mother's name and maiden name
Name of spouse
Occupation and employer

Documents Funeral Directors May Need

Funeral directors will need important documents to complete any legal paperwork. These documents include:

Account statements
Beneficiary designations
Life insurance policies
Military discharge papers (form DD 214)
Social Security number

Taking Care Of Personal Property

Following the death of your loved one, there are a few things you need to attend to involving the deceased’s personal life. First, secure your loved one’s property. Make sure their home and vehicle are properly secured. If your loved one has a pet, make the necessary arrangements for the pet to be taken care of by family or friends. Any mail that comes to your loved one should be forwarded to a family member who plans to handle the deceased’s estate. Any mail that piles up at a vacant home only alarms potential intruders that a home is empty. Make sure to contact the deceased’s boss and inform them of the death. If your loved one had any upcoming appointments, make contact to notify them about the death and to cancel the appointment.

WHEN DEATH OCCURS