What to do when someone dies?
Information and next steps
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If the person is at home when they die (i.e. an expected death) contact your doctor no matter what time of day it is. They will arrange to come and confirm death, issuing you with a ‘medical certificate’ to confirm the cause of death. The person’s body cannot be moved until this has happened. Keep the room as cold as possible. Switch off any electric blankets. If they are on a pressure relieving mattress, this can be left on. You may want to wash and dress them, brush their hair. Close their eyes and mouth, roll up a towel and place it under the chin if necessary. If you already know that you would like the person cremated, tell your doctor as they will need to prepare different forms and make further arrangements. You will need to take to take the medical certificate to the registrar within 5 days to register the death.
If death occurs suddenly (ie: the person has not been seen by a doctor within the last 14 days) the body is immediately in the care of the coroner. This also applies if the person died following an accident or injury, due to an industrial disease, during a surgical operation, if the cause of death is unknown or if the death is unexplained. Normally a Post Mortem is carried out to establish the cause of death. This can be a very upsetting and scary time for the family. The police can be involved and may want to question family members. This is a standard procedure which is a legal requirement.
View or download our What to do when someone dies information pack.
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Words cannot express our heartfelt thanks to you all. You offered great comfort and kindness and of course great professionalism at such a sad time in our lives.
-Angela, Diane, Paul and all our family
We would like to thank you most sincerely for the professional and compassionate service that you provided in arranging Lena’s funeral. She had a very good “send off”.The effort of your family and staff are also much appreciated. Please convey our thank to them too.
Joyce and Derek Vasey.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for the total professionalism that you and your business have provided to my family and I over the recent weeks since our mothers’ death. You have behaved with care and dignity throughout, qualities which are rare these days. I am very grateful for your guidance and support through what was a totally unknown process and procedure. The service, burial and everything associated with them are exactly what we, and my mother would have, wanted. Once again, my huge gratitude. Very best regards
Graham Wort
We just wanted to say thank you so, so much for all the kindness and support you gave to all of us again when we lost Dad. Right from the start when the ‘boys’ collected him and all through the arrangements you have shown great humanity and care at such a difficult time. It meant a great deal! Once again thank you so much. Fondest regards.
Chris, Jim, Alex and Ben (Tebbutt)
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