When a death occurs
| Published: 28th April 2008 15:52 |
Whether it is expected or sudden, death can bring bewilderment and confusion. Most Funeral Directors operate a telephone service 24 hours a day to provide advice and assistance to those in the early stages of bereavement. Below is a brief guide to the procedures when a death occurs.
A Death at Home
When a loved one dies at home, the first call should be to their GP. Often a doctor, either the deceased's GP during Surgery hours, or an out of hours Doctor, will attend to confirm that death has occurred, and will give permission for the deceased to be transferred to our premises. Sometimes, if a Registered Nurse or Paramedic has been in attendance, it will not be necessary for a doctor to attend. You can contact your chosen Funeral Director, irrespective of the time of day, once either the doctor or nurse has given permission for the deceased to be transferred to their premises.
If the death was sudden or unexpected, the Coroner may be contacted, and it may be necessary for the deceased to be taken to the Coroner's Mortuary for further investigation of the death.
A Death in a Care Home
When a death occurs, the Care Home will contact your chosen Funeral Director and make the necessary arrangements for the transfer to our premises. If your loved one is in a Care Home, it may be prudent to check that they have on file the necessary information about which Funeral Home you would like them to contact.
A Death in Hospital
In most Hospitals, it is not possible for us to collect the deceased until the death has been registered and, in the case of cremation, once certain paperwork has been completed by the Hospital Doctors.
Registration of a Death.
Registration of a death is something that the funeral director cannot affect - wherever possible a close family member should attend the registrars in the area where the death occurred. If the death occurred at home or in a care home, the Medical Certificate required to register the death will be available from the deceased's GP. If the deceased was a Hospital In-patient at the time of death, this certificate will usually be available from the Hospital.
Choosing a Funeral Director
Choosing the right Funeral Director is an important decision, but in the early stages following a death, you may not feel able to make enquiries about the facilities and services which different firms offer. Although difficult, it is often useful to obtain some information from a couple of different firms beforehand, so that you know who you plan to contact when the need arises.
You may wish to consider whether you would prefer to use a large firm or a smaller, often independent firm. The vast majority of Funeral Directors are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors, which requires its members to adhere to a strict Code of Practice, and are part of the Funeral Arbitration Scheme, which provides a system of redress in the unlikely event of that you are not satisfied with any aspect of the services. NAFD members are also required to provide price lists so that comparisons can be made of their charges, and will provide an estimate of costs before the funeral takes place. For more information about the NAFD, including a list of members, please visit www.nafd.org.uk
Many funeral directors have websites which allow members of the public to find out more about their services and charges - please see our website at www.staplefordfuneralservice.co.uk for full information on our services, as well as a range of advice leaflets.
Making Funeral Arrangements
In the early stages following a death, you may experience delays in obtaining a Medical Certificate, or Registering the death. It is not necessary to wait until you have registered the death before you contact your Funeral Director regarding the Funeral Arrangements - you should get in touch as soon as you are ready. Even if they cannot proceed with arranging a time and date for the funeral, they can be ready to put the necessary arrangements into place as soon as the necessary clearance is obtained.
Provided by Staplefords Funeral Service, 136 Derby Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 7AY
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