What to do next?
Your next steps will depend on where your loved one has passed away. Whether it be in a hospital, at home expectedly or unexpectedly, or in a nursing home or hospice we can assist you.
Hospital
When someone dies at a hospital the first step is to contact us at the funeral home. Most hospitals will have a morgue (cold temperature room) where they will keep your loved one until the doctor has signed the death certificate. Once you inform us of the death, it is our responsibility to follow up with the hospital and respectfully bring your loved one into our care.
Not Expected Death at Home
Please call 911 to inform the emergency services of the death. Once the police and ambulance arrive they will contact a Coroner (investigating doctor) to determine whether an autopsy is required. The coroner may request the body to be taken to the Coroner’s office. If it is required, they will arrange for the transfer from the house to the Coroner’s office. It will be our responsibility to bring your loved one from the Coroner’s office to the funeral home once the autopsy is done. If the Coroner determines the death due to natural causes, they will sign a death certificate and the funeral home should be contacted to transfer your loved one into our care.
Expected Death at Home
Sometimes referred to as planned death at home. This is when your loved one is in a palliative end of life program with the family doctor. Once the death occurs you will contact the nurse’s number given by the family doctor. The nurse will come to the house and pronounce the death. The funeral home can be contacted to transfer your loved one.
Nursing Home/ Hospice
The nursing home will contact the Coroner’s office to notify them of the death, it is likely that the death will be determined by natural causes. This means that the funeral home will have to be contacted to transfer your loved one. Unlike a hospital, most nursing homes do not have a morgue and the transfer needs to be done within a few hours.
