What to do if a person dies. A Guide
A step by step Guide
At lastwishbook.com we want you to be able to cope with all aspects of death, so here is a step by step guide to what to do if someone you know dies.
It can be hard to have to deal with life's practicalities when your feeling down and upset but if your the one left behind doing the paperwork this should give you an idea where to start.All deaths are different - So lets start with a guide as to what to do if the person dies at home.
First of all before you do anything call the doctor so that they can confirm the death and sign the death certificate. In some cases, if the death is sudden or suspicious, do not touch the body of the person in-case you destroy vital evidence.If this is the case, or the death is an accident or unknown then the police must be called in, they will also contact your local ambulance service.
After you have had time to come to terms with what is going on, it may be good to contact funeral director so they can be informed of the death and can start with arrangements such as taking the body away and preparing for the funeral.A lot of people nowadays are not religious but if the deceased is then this would also be a good time to contact a rabbi / monk / priest or any spiritual helper should be contacted to assist the healing process and to bless the body.Once the above is complete all the close members of the family should be contacted.
If you don't know the next of kin then the hospital where the body will be taken will usually take over this role. Informing loved ones is usually the hardest part, especially if the death is sudden. You just need to take a deep breath and slowly inform the loved ones in a calm and precise way.After the death has been pronounced the remains will then be transferred either to the hospital (if and autopsy is needed) or the funeral parlor which the funeral director will take care of.If any family members are unsure of the cause of death or are suspicious they should immediately contact the police without touching the body.
A medical examiner may also accompany the police to help conduct an investigation and later to perform the autopsy at the hospital.Here is also the perfect time to log on the deceased's lastwishbook.com profile – here you will see exactly what they wanted and how to start preparing for the funeral. It should also provide the family with some help and comfort and can reduce these stressful arrangements dramatically.
Traveling and Transport
If the person has died when traveling or away from home the local authorities should be contacted – then if the body is to be shipped or flown home, the funeral parlor and doctor should be informed of the death. There are some important rules to consider if the body needs to be transported. First the airlines and shipping companies have containers as long as they meet the requirements and the body has previously been embalmed.(embalming is when the body is disinfected which thereby slows the decomposition process) In some faiths the body is not embalmed and can therefore be packed with ice. The airline and funeral company are extremely helpful in these circumstances and will see that this difficult and painful process is as smooth as possible.
All bodies when moved must include the following when being transported.
- Death certificate
- Embalmers report
- Cremation or burial permit
- Doctor or examiner letter
- Content confirmation from funeral home
Overall it can sometimes be a difficult process as the family may not know where the deceased wanted to be buried but now with lastwishbook.com on line profile all the instructions will be there for them to follow along with their views on organ donation and funeral requirementsWhat to expect when you call the funeral home.That first call if you have never done it before can be stressful so here is a quick guide as to what you might need handy and what they might ask you.
What do you need?
- Doctors name and address.
- Family phone numbers.
- Address and full name of the deceased.
- Your name and relationship to the deceased.
- Place of death.
- Was an autopsy done?
- Any other specific requirements i.e.: religious/ burial/ cremation/ organs
- Details from the lastwishbook profile - any funeral requirements etc..
For the last option you should have already checked their lastwishbook.com profile to see if there were any special requirements from the deceased at this early time.
Some people may have added what clothes they want to wear in their coffin, so if you are at the deceased's house then either tell the loved ones or just try and find the clothes to give to the funeral director.
What to organise when the body is to be taken away.
- Draft of funeral notice.
- Clothing for the deceased (if you don't know just ask advice from the funeral director and they should be able to tell you whats appropriatete) Other personal items such as medals and jewelry.
- Download the photos form their profile or dig out some nice family pics that show the person during joyful times.
- Photos of happier times can be displayed by the funeral parlor.
- Completion of the death certificate (including family names and contacts)
- Funeral requirements (remember to check the profile here!) Caskets? Urns? Burial vaults?
- What did the person want? a memorial of any kind?
- Music preferences (check the lastwishbook.com profile to download music)
- News paper notice - Did they write thier own obituary?
- Budget and Payment of funeral.
- Who is the next of kin?
All these things are the everyday practicalities of dealing with a death for the more emotional aspects of death then we reccomend logging into the grief forum. This can really help as there will be alot of other users experiencing the same things and they can offer coping strategies.
Also all of the above may not apply depending on where you come from and what religion you are, so please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it so we can add all your information to our site.
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