What to Do When Someone Dies
When someone passes away at Home, Hospital or Care home it is completely normal to not know what to do.
Whether the passing was expected, or unexpected the bereavement can be challenging, and whilst dealing with your personal grief, it can feel daunting on knowing what needs to happen next.
At Christopher Snailham & Family Funeral Directors, we have put together some information which will guide you, and help you to organise some of the things that will need to happen.
Please remember you can contact us anytime on 02922 418782, where we will be able to help you Day or Night.
When Someone Dies At Home Or Nursing Home
When someone passes away at home or Nursing Home and the death was expected, your first point of call will be the Doctor or if a qualified Nurse or District Nurse has been caring for the person, they can verify the death.
once verification has taken place, you will then need to contact us, and we will then arrange to call to the home address or Care Home to look after your loved one and take them to our Funeral Home.
Usually the following day the Death Certificate will become available and from there the registrar will arrange an appointment for you to carry out the registration.
When Someone Dies In Hospital
If death occurs in hospital, the Doctors and Nursing staff will help you to organise a death certificate. The death certificate will then be sent to the registrar office, and a registrar will arrange an appointment for you to attend the registrar office.
once the bereavement has been registered, the registrar will issue you with the certificate for burial or cremation. (which is green in colour)
We will need this certificate to then attend the hospital to look after your loved one.
Unexpected or Sudden Death
If the death occurs at home suddenly. The emergency services will need to be called. Once death has been verified by paramedics, they will then call the local police force to attend, this is something that has to happen, the police will usually ask a few questions and will then release your loved one to be looked after by a Funeral Director.
Sometimes the police will contact a funeral director who is next on list, please note you do not have to use this funeral director, as they are acting on behalf of the coroner at that time.
you can request a funeral director of your choice, and for example if we are contacted we will be in attendance within the hour.
The death will be reported to the Coroner Office, and your loved one will be taken to the local Coroner Mortuary, until the Coroner has finished his enquires.
The coroner and ourselves will keep you updated at every opportunity, and the Coroner will advise you if an examination will need to take please, or if the death can be registered.
Registering A Death
Unless H M Coroner is involved, the death of a person in the UK will need to be registered within 5 days of the death.
The registrar will carry out the registration with you and at the end of the registration you will be given the Certificate for Burial Or Cremation which is green in colour ( this will need to be given to the Funeral Director). The registrar will then offer you an extract of the death certificate, the extracts will help with the financial aspects, such as banks, insurance proof of death for local authority. The extracts are £11.00 per copy.
The Documents You Will Need To Bring:
- You MUST have the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Form 11) (Please check with the hospital or Doctor as these are mostly emailed to the registrar)
- The deceased’s Birth Certificate (if available)
- Marriage Certificate (if available)
- NHS Card (if available)
The Registrar Will Require:
- The deceased’s full name, occupation, usual address and occupancy time
- Their date and country of birth
- The deceased’s marital status
- The full name, date of birth and occupation of the deceased’s spouse or former spouse
- The full name of both the deceased’s parents (including maiden name)
- Their usual GP’s name and address