When Someone Dies

What to Do When Someone Dies

After someone has passed away there are a few important steps for you to take, depending on where their death occurred. Below are some examples of steps which should be taken in different scenarios

At Home

When someone passes away at home the death must be reported to the deceased’s GP practice. A medical professional will then visit the home to complete the Medical Certificate, this could be a GP a district nurse or a member of the palliative care team if the death was be taken into the care of a funeral director.

In a Professional Setting

If someone passes away in hospital, hospice or a nursing home, for example, the setting will usually have staff trained in the relevant steps to take, who to notify and the care to be given to the person who has died. They often have a dedicated bereavement support team who can offer guidance and support with the next steps. When any death occurs a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death must be issued to enable the death to be registered. When the death happens in a professional setting this is completed on site. The certificate is then sent to the registrar and you can complete the death registration.

Abroad

When a death occurs abroad, its usually unexpected. This can cause extra distress and confusion for family members. Its important to remember that the same process is followed, a local medical professional or coroner will certify the death which must then be registered with the relevant local authority abroad. Repatriation is the process of returning the body of your loved one home, this would be the next step. The cost of repatriation can be included with medical insurance, however, if this is not the case the next of kin would be liable for this.

If Someone Dies Unexpectedly

If someone dies at home and the death was unexpected, usually the police will need to be informed and the death will be recorded with the coroner. If this happens there may be a need for a post mortem to be completed to ascertain a cause of death, this then enables the Medical Certificate to be issued.. There are several useful websites which provide additional information:

www.gov.uk/after-a-death

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/death-and-wills/what-to-do-after-a-death/

Registering A Death

All deaths must be registered with the local authority where the death occurred. After the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death has been issued you can make an appointment with the local authority to register, this needs to happen before any funeral arrangements can be made and usually within 5 days of the death occurring. After the death has been registered you will be to your chosen funeral director, you will also be given a certified copy of the death certificate. At this stage it can be helpful to request extra copies of the certified death certificate. Further information available at:

www.hull.gov.uk/visitor.births-and-deaths/death-registration

www.eastriding.gov.uk/living/deaths/registration

If you have any questions or require any guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us, or if you prefer, simply fill out the contact submission below and we’ll get in touch with you.

Preperation

With 18 years’ experience in the funeral care industry, we have helped many families, some of whom knew the wishes of the person who died; and some families never spoke about them. We truly believe that discussing your funeral wishes with your family and/or friends can make a huge difference, the wishes you leave can then simply be followed safe in the knowledge its exactly what you wanted. Any funeral wishes you decide doesn’t have to be detailed or complex, to help with this we offer a free service, to help you document any wishes you may have. We will then give you a copy to pass along to your family and we store a copy should you need it. Alternatively, we also provide pre-paid funeral plans with Ecclesiastical Planning Services, and would be happy to discuss this further with you.

Why Choose Us?

Here are just some reasons why you should choose Hornsea Funeral Services

Clear Pricing

At Hornsea Funeral Services one of our core commitments is to list all of our prices clearly, so together we can arrange the send-off you desire for your loved one.

24-Hour Support

We are always available and offer 24-hour support with no compromise on our services. At Hornsea Funeral Services we are available for support or guidance whenever you need us.

Respecting Dignity

Dignity and respect always; no matter the cost of your funeral, at Hornsea Funeral Services our commitment to you and your loved one is always the same.

We are so grateful for the compassion and care provided by Hornsea Funeral Services to our family at such a difficult time. Gary and Terrie deserve a massive thank you and we cannot praise you enough for your compassion and care which made our saddest of moments a little more bearable. Our family and friends are overwhelmingly grateful for your proper care and attention to detail.

Peter and June

Thank you Hornsea Funeral Services for the highest service we could have expected. Gary and Steve at Hornsea offered help regarding some special needs that other funeral directors in the Hornsea area couldn’t provide and we would definitely recommend your funeral services to all of our friends and family. Again – a huge thank you so much to Hornsea Funeral Directors.

Michael