Following the death of a loved one

The first thing to remember is that we are here to assist you and guide you through the process and formalities that need to be completed following the death of your loved one. We are also here to ensure that your loved one receives their desired funeral arrangements. If at any stage of the process you have any queries, then you should contact us by telephone or email. We recommend that you contact us immediately following the death so that we may support you and assist you with what to do and make arrangements to collect your loved one and bring them into our care as soon as possible. Of course, you may wish your loved one to spend some time at home before the funeral, and in many cases this is something that we can arrange for you.

We understand that this is a very painful and difficult time for you, especially if you are on your own, and for all family members and friends. No matter what the circumstances of your loss, please remember to take your time and accept support. We are here to help you and your family get thought this stressful time, every step of the way. 

Obtaining a Certificate of Cause of Death

A Certificate of Cause of Death is required in all cases regardless of where your loved one has passed away. It is advisable that you obtain a few copies of the Certificate of Cause of Death for use in dealing with your loved one’s estate. 

An expected death at home

If the death was expected and has occurred at home, then you may already have friends and family around you. However, if not, then you may wish to call someone to be with you. The only thing you need to make sure of, is that the deceased's General Practitioner is contacted as soon as possible. If the death has occurred ‘out of hours’ then you will need to contact the out of hours GP services (101) and another doctor may attend in order to verify the death. Your loved one’s GP will still, however, need to be contacted to complete the formal paperwork and issue you with the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.

An unexpected death at home

If the death was sudden and your loved one has not seen a Doctor within 14 days, then you should call 999 for the police and paramedics to attend. If you are on your own, you may wish to call someone to be with you, however, you must be careful and try not to disturb the place where your loved one has passed away, as this may provide vital information for the Coroner who will be involved in establishing the cause of death.

A death in hospital, nursing or care home 

If the death has occurred in a hospital, nursing home or care home then you should ask the ward sister, nurse in charge or doctor (if present) to ensure that the necessary arrangements are made for you to obtain a Certificate of Cause of Death. Hospitals usually have a Bereavement Officer who will assist in ensuring the required paperwork is completed. Once death has been certified, we recommend that you contact us immediately so that we may bring your loved one into our care and arrange an initial meeting to discuss their Funeral arrangements.

Coroner's Involvement

A Coroner becomes involved if there is some uncertainty about the cause of death. In such circumstances, a post mortem is sometimes necessary before a Certificate of Cause of Death can be issued. There are also a number of circumstances where it is a legal requirement for a death to be reported to the Coroner. If the coroner is involved and a post mortem has been required, the certificate of death will be issued by the Coroner (rather than Doctor) and the Coroner's Office will contact you to let you know when you are able to proceed with funeral arrangements. Once you have been informed of this, we recommend that you contact us and we can make all the necessary arrangements to bring your loved one into our care.

Registering the Death 

Registering the death is a legal requirement. Once you have been notified that the Certificate of Cause of Death is available you will be required to contact the Registrar's Office in order to formally register the death (within 5 days of death if the Coroner is not involved). In certain circumstances, the death may be registered by someone other than the deceased’s next of kin, however, in all cases the Registrar will need a number of formal documents and certain information before the death may be formally registered. We are able to provide you with all the necessary details when we make our initial home visit to discuss the process with you personally. 

If you have any doubts about what to do, then please contact us.