What to do when someone dies
If you have not had to deal with the death of a loved one before, the necessary funeral arrangements can be quite overwhelming. We are here to help you and guide you through this difficult time with information and advice about what to do when someone dies starting with immediate concerns you and your family will face.
When someone dies away from home or abroad
When death takes place some distance away from home, either within the UK or anywhere abroad, contact us straight away and we can make all the necessary arrangements.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
When someone dies unexpectedly or in unknown circumstances
When someone dies unexpectedly or if a medical certificate of cause of death will not be issued, the death must be referred to a coroner. This is a standard procedure and there are many reasons why this can happen. In some cases this is just a formality and in others a post-mortem examination may be required.
Contact us
You should contact us as soon as possible when a death is referred to a coroner as provisional funeral arrangements can still be progressed. We can liaise with the coroner’s office on your behalf.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
When someone dies in hospital or a nursing home
When someone dies whilst staying at hospital or a nursing home, the staff there will arrange for a doctor to issue the medical certificate of cause of death and advise who you need to contact to collect this, along with any belongings. This certificate will be required to register the death.
You should advise the hospital or nursing home if the funeral is to be a cremation. This allows time for other legal documentation to be completed.
You will need to inform the nursing home that you have chosen us to take care of the funeral and they will need to contact us to bring your loved one into our care.
Contact us
You should contact us as soon as possible to make an appointment to discuss the funeral arrangements.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
When someone dies at home
Call the doctor
When someone dies at home, you should call the family doctor to confirm if they will issue a medical certificate of cause of death and where you will need to collect this. This certificate will be required to register the death.
You should advise the doctor if the funeral is to be a cremation. This allows time for other legal documentation to be completed.
Contact us
After the doctor has confirmed they will issue the medical certificate of cause of death, you should contact us to arrange a suitable time to bring your loved one into our care. You can then make an appointment with us to discuss the funeral arrangements.
What information do I need to provide?
- Your name, address, telephone number and your relationship to the person who has died
- The name of the person who has died and the address where death has occurred
- The name of the family doctor and whether the doctor has agreed to issue a medical certificate of cause of death
- Whether the funeral will be a burial or cremation
- If a pre-paid funeral plan is in place and if possible, the plan number
