What you should do immediately when someone dies.
When someone dies, the hours and days immediately after can be overwhelming for those left behind. Handling all that needs to be done can seem very confusing. Regardless of whether the death was expected or not, the emotional struggles associated with death, can make the task of planning the funeral that much difficult.
If you have just experienced the death of a love one, rest assured that the Roman’s team of professional funeral directors are ready to assist you. Our dedicated and experienced staff are always here to answer your many question and advice you as best as we can on how to proceed.
If you feel as though you have no idea where to start, the list below details what you should do immediately.
Please Note: If you do not have to do this alone, don’t. Assigning different tasks to family members and others you trust will not only ease your burdens but also allow you to get more done quickly.
What to do immediately someone dies !
1. The death has to be legally pronounced. If your loved one was not in the care of a hospital at the time of death you first need to call the police. If they are in the care of the hospital this task generally falls to a medical doctor on staff at the time of death.
2. Arrange for transportation to a morgue. If death happens at the hospital, the body will be assigned to the government morgue. If death happened outside the hospital, you will need to make arrangements to have that done immediately. Call us (876) 969-3821 and we will arrange transportation with no obligation to use our funeral services. NB: Be aware of any arrangements that may need to be made for an autopsy before any funeral service provider takes your loved one into care and advise them of same.
3. Notify family and close friends of the death of your loved one. You may wish to ask some of these people to inform others as well.
4. Arrange for help and/or time off from work. There’s quite a bit to do, to include managing all the heavy emotions associated with a loss of a loved one. It’s best to take some time off from work and get help for children or elderly parents if necessary.
5. Notify your loved one’s employer. If he or she was still working, notify the employer immediately. You should also have a conversation about unpaid salary, life insurance, benefits or any other work related details you may need to know, or any work related tools that you will need to return (example company car or laptops etc)
6. Locate the will and any pre-planned funeral arrangements.
7. Have a family meeting or discussion if applicable. Deciding who does what and how the funeral will be paid for is usually where the challenge lies in funeral planning.. If there are pre-plans in place, this task gets easier and less stressful. If not, it’s best to get the decision makers together quickly to decide how this will be handled.
8. Choose a Funeral Home to begin the process of planning a funeral or cremation.