What happens when a loved one passes away?
Experiencing the death of a loved one can be a very emotional and trying time. You might want to be left alone to grieve in peace, but unfortunately there are matters that need to be attended to. If procedures don’t run smoothly, you can find yourself experiencing headaches and stress on top of the sadness and grief you are feeling.
While you likely won’t want to think about other obligations, here are a few tasks that need to be completed when a loved one passes:
- Get a legal pronouncement of death
- Arrange for transportation of the body
- Notify family and close friends
- Arrange a funeral and burial or cremation
- Obtain a death certificate
It is important to officially document a death, which is why you need a legal pronouncement of death. If there is no doctor or hospice nurse present at the time, call 911. Be sure if you call 911, that you have a Do Not Resuscitate form in hand to ensure that paramedics do not employ unnecessary emergency procedures.
The body needs to be transported to either a funeral home or coroner’s office. If no autopsy is needed, you can call a mortuary to take over possession of the body. You will still want to notify the county coroner though.
This step can be particularly difficult, but you will need to make some phone calls to inform family and close friends of death. It might be a good idea to request someone else to make some of the phone calls if you are overwhelmed with emotion.
At this point, you can begin planning a funeral and burial or cremation. Search through their documents or will to see if they had a prepaid burial plan, or specific wishes for how they were treated after the death. You can also prepare an obituary and contact any military, fraternal or religious groups to see if there are any burial benefits.
Though it might seem insignificant, a death certificate is a very important piece of paper. These are generally obtained from the funeral home, and will need to be sent to government agencies, insurers and financial institutions. This document is crucial as proof of death, as well as required to settle the estate of the deceased.
Do you need Certified Field Agent to assist during this trying time?
If you’ve had a loved one pass away recently, first of all, we’d like to offer condolences. This can be a very emotional time for you and your family. The “To-Do” list can quickly grow after you lose a loved one, but Certified Field Agent is here to help with some of the mundane details. If you need help retrieving a death certificate from the Office of Vital Records in the county in which the death occurred, let Certified Field Agent help. Give us a call at 714-632-3480, or submit your request right on our website at Certified Field Agent.
