Whether it is sudden or anticipated, death is never easy to deal with. Along with mourning there are official steps to take. Rarely we are prepared with these steps on hand. It’s not something we keep in our notes in case. Even when the death is imminent as in old age or terminal illness. Regardless, it’s important to start the process immediately. You have some time for the initial shock, but the hospital or nursing home can’t wait forever. They need the body removed. Who handles that aspect of the death though? Let’s break it down into steps.
Reporting The Death: Once someone has passed, the death must be reported. If they are in a medical facility they will guide you through this. To receive a death certificate, a medical professional must pronounce them dead. The most basic way of doing this is contacting 911 for emergency. You can also contact your local authorities. In a local hospital they can help handle the situation. They do have a building full of doctors on hand. A funeral director also has to be contacted. It’s the funeral director’s responsibility to remove and store the body. Hospitals will also need the body to be removed within a few hours. Nursing homes will also need a timely removal of the body.
If they are an organ donor, the appropriate authorities must be contacted for this as well. So the organs might be removed to be transplanted.
Clean Out Area. If the deceased passed in a hospital or nursing facility, you must remove their property as well. Take too long and you might face financial consequences. Insurance covers their stay in the hospital. Once they are gone, the insurance coverage can go as well. So don’t wait too long.
Work With A Funeral Director: Arrangements must be made for the deceased. You have to prepare to answer a few questions. The first is burial or cremation. The second is what kind of funeral service will you have. A funeral director will work with you through this. Sometimes the deceased will have decided this before their passing. Otherwise, it might fall on you. If you are designated to make the decisions.
If the death and the desired burial location are far apart, let the Funeral Director know. Get in contact with a funeral director near the desired location. Arrange for the body to be transported where it needs to be.
Make Arrangements: There are two main arrangements to make. Cemetery arrangements, as we mentioned above, and funeral arrangements. There are a few things to consider here.
What kind of service will you hold?
Will there be any pre-service or post-service events?
How will you present the body? (Open casket, closed casket, etc)
Choose The Casket or Urn: Part of the arrangements is deciding on an urn or casket. Funeral homes have many available. Other locations sell their own urns or caskets as well.
Inform The Guests: Once everything is set, it’s time to invite the guests. Decide how you will send out invitations. There are several websites to help with this. Ones that will create an memorial page. They will also send out invitation cards, and email invitations. Make sure you are timely with this step. You don’t want any invitations arriving late.
Many of these steps can seem daunting in the wake of someone’s passing. Hold strong though, you don’t have to handle it alone. Dale Woodward Funeral Homes in Ormond Beach will help you through this trying time. Dale Woodward has spent years helping the local community bury loved ones. They approach each client with compassion, respect, and understanding. Work with us today by contacting us at (386) 253-7601.
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