Someone has died – what should I do?

The death of a loved one can feel very overwhelming. We’ll guide you through what needs to happen next.

You can call us any time, day or night – we always answer the phone. We’ll ask if the doctor’s been, and talk about making a time to bring your loved one into our care. One thing to remember is that in most cases you don’t need to rush and you can take your time with your loved one before the next part begins.

What doctor? Why do they need to come?

When a person dies, a doctor (or Coroner) needs to complete a “Medical Certificate of Cause of Death”. (Sometimes people call this the Death Certificate, which is a separate document that is issued after the funeral.) We also sometimes refer to the medical certification as the “doctor’s paperwork”. In most situations, we can’t transfer the deceased into our care until this paperwork is complete; but sometimes we can organise for it to happen once your loved one is with us.

Expected, or not

If your loved one has died in care (eg a hospital, hospice or rest home) the staff there will arrange the doctor’s paperwork. Often this will take place when the doctor comes on their regular rounds, which might be later that day or the next morning.

If your loved one died at home but it was expected (eg they were in hospice care, were elderly or had a known terminal illness), the GP or palliative care team can do the paperwork. They may want to come to the home to see the deceased, or they may be willing to “sign off” over the phone.

If the death was because of an accident or was unexpected, you need to call 111 and ask for Police. Explain to them what’s happened. A team may come to take your loved one to the Coroner. If that happens, there will be a wait while the Coroner assesses what’s needed; they should keep in touch with you during this process and let you know when your loved one can be released for us to bring into our care.

If you’re in doubt, if you don’t know what to do or who to call first, we can help.

What happens next?

Once the medical paperwork is in place, we’ll arrange to bring the deceased into our care. When we’re talking to you about that, we’ll also talk about when to meet and talk about plans. We call this the “arrangement” meeting.

In most cases, we can wait until the next day to meet. This is usually advisable – it gives you time to get some sleep, have something to eat and drink, and take the time to gather your thoughts. It’s hard to make good decisions when you’re exhausted and in the first waves of grief, so give yourself a break before we begin planning.

No matter your situation, it’s our job to help you through it. We know there are lots of things you have to deal with, and we can ease the burden. Give us a call when you’re ready and we’ll take it from there.