When Death Occurs

Your loved one has passed, what is next?

Your loved one has passed under hospice home care: 

The attending nurse will call your funeral home provider that you have chosen at the beginning of comfort care. The funeral home will come and bring your loved one into our care whether it is at a facility or residence, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The family is contacted, usually the next day, by a funeral director of the funeral home to coordinate a time to make funeral arrangements. 

Your loved one passed unattended (alone) at home:

In the unfortunate event your loved one passes unattended and is found, your first step is to call the non-emergency line of your local police department. They will decide which appropriate departments are needed to respond, i.e., a police officer, coroner’s office, or similar official. After their process is completed, they will inform the family how that responding department will proceed, either they will call the funeral home or take the individual for further investigation at their facility. 

• If the Funeral Home is called:
• The funeral home will come to the designated place and bring your loved one into our care, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The family will be contacted, usually the next day, by a funeral director of the funeral home to coordinate a time to make funeral arrangements.
• Further Investigation has been deemed necessary:
• If your loved one is taken for further inquiry the attending official will explain what happens next regarding what they are needing to do to complete their investigation. If you have not chosen a funeral home, this will be the time to start looking into which funeral home best suits your family’s needs. Once the funeral home is chosen, you will need to sit with your funeral director to make the final arrangements. During this meeting, the paperwork needed to release your loved one into the funeral home’s care will be completed so it may be sent over to the coroner’s office. Once received and filed the coroner’s office will inform the funeral director when they are able to come over and make the transfer of care.
  

Your loved one passed at a hospital or hospice facility:

When a family member passes in either a hospital or hospice facility the supervising nurse will ask who your funeral home choice is. If you have not selected a funeral home at this time, you will need to call and find the funeral home that can accommodate and fulfill your family’s needs. When the funeral home establishment has been given, the facility will call and give the information needed to coordinate and complete the transfer of care, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The family is contacted, usually the next day, by a funeral director to arrange a time to meet and make funeral arrangements.

Your loved one passed at a nursing home:

The attending nurse will call your funeral home provider that you have chosen at the time of intake. The funeral home will come and bring your loved one into our care, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The family is contacted, usually the next day, by a funeral director of the funeral home to coordinate a time to make funeral arrangements.

This can feel like an overwhelming process, but the right funeral home will always make sure you are comfortable and confident in the choices you make. When reaching out to funeral homes for information or pricing and you feel as if you are not satisfied completely by your first initial contact, please continue to call around. YOU HAVE OPTIONS, especially in death care.