When death occurs expected or otherwise, it is still a very traumatic and confusing time for everyone. Many people do not know what they should do if the death occurs at home, in the hospital, at a nursing home or even out of state. We would like to provide you with these guidelines so you may be a little more prepared when and if this does occur.

When you contact the funeral home you will be asked to schedule a time that would be convenient for you to come in and make arrangements. There are questions that you will need to answer during the arrangement meeting in order to process the Death Certificate. We have provided a copy of these questions for you to print out so you can be prepared to answer them correctly. No matter where death occurs these questions will need to be answered.

(Click here for printable list to prepare for the arrangement conference)

When Death Occurs Under Hospice Care

If the deceased is under Hospice care the first thing you should do is to contact the hospice care provider. There are certain procedures that must be followed before the deceased may be removed from the home. The hospice professionals will handle all of these procedures and will let you know when it is time to call the funeral home.

Unexpected Death at Home

If death occurs unexpectedly at home a report must first be made to the police. The police in turn will take care of the procedures that must follow, such as calling the EMT’s or the Medical Examiners Office and when it is time to call the funeral home.

When Death occurs at a Hospital or Nursing Home

Once a residential institution notifies the family of the death, the family should contact the funeral home. Most institutions will not release the deceased until the Death Certificate has been signed by the doctor. After you have contacted the funeral home, we will take care of contacting the institution and coordinate transferring the deceased to the funeral home.

Out of State Death

If the death of a loved one occurs outside of the state, your first call should be to the funeral home, even if you yourself are out of State. We have associates all over the United States and will coordinate with them to make sure the transfer of the remains is done as professionally and quickly as possible.