Losing someone you love can leave you with questions about what happens next, even when their passing was expected. In the first few hours, it can be difficult to know who to call, what needs your attention right away, and what decisions can wait.
Whether your loved one has passed away at a hospital, at home under hospice care, or unexpectedly, there are people who will help you through the immediate process. Below, we’ve answered some of the questions families commonly have during those first hours.
Who Should I Call First?
Who you contact first depends on where your loved one passed away and whether the death was expected.
If your loved one passes away at a hospital, nursing facility, or other care facility, the staff will typically guide you through the immediate next steps. At this time, they will ask which funeral home you would like to care for your loved one.
If your loved one passes away at home while receiving hospice care, the hospice provider should generally be your first call. The hospice team can help with the necessary next steps and explain when the funeral home should be contacted.
If a death occurs unexpectedly at home, call 911. Emergency personnel will respond and determine what needs to happen next.
Once the appropriate professionals have been notified, the funeral home can help with the next stage of the process. They may coordinate with the hospital, hospice provider, medical examiner, or others to arrange for your loved one to be transferred into their care.
How Long Can We Wait?
The timing will depend on where your loved one passed away and the circumstances involved. Depending on the situation, a hospital, hospice provider, medical examiner, or other professional may need to complete certain steps before your loved one can be transferred to the funeral home.
In many situations, families have time to process what has happened before making detailed decisions about arrangements.
The funeral home can explain what needs your attention first and what you can address later. You generally do not need to make every decision about burial or cremation, services, memorials, or other details during the first phone call.
What Happens When a Loved One Passes Away at the Hospital?
When someone passes away at a hospital, hospital staff will take care of many of the immediate steps. The medical team will confirm the death and complete the hospital’s required procedures and documentation. The hospital will ask the family which funeral home they have selected.
The hospital and funeral home can then coordinate the transfer of your loved one when the hospital is ready to release them into the funeral home’s care.
Once the immediate steps have been taken, there will be time to discuss arrangements, including burial or cremation, the type of service or gathering, cemetery arrangements if applicable, obituary information, and other personal details.
What Happens If a Loved One Passes Away at Home?
What happens next depends largely on whether the death was expected and whether your loved one was receiving hospice care.
If Your Loved One Was Receiving Hospice Care
If your loved one was receiving hospice care at home, contact the hospice provider. The hospice team is familiar with what needs to happen following a death at home and can guide the family through the immediate next steps.
Once you complete the necessary steps, contact the funeral home to coordinate bringing your loved one into their care.
If the Death Was Unexpected
If your loved one passes away unexpectedly at home and is not under hospice care, call 911.
Emergency personnel will respond and determine what the next steps should be. Depending on the situation, the medical examiner or other authorities may also need to be involved.
If additional review is necessary, it may be some time before your loved one can be released to a funeral home. Those involved can help explain the process and let the family know what to expect.
Once your loved one is able to be released, the funeral home can coordinate the transfer into their care.
Do I Need to Decide Between Burial and Cremation Right Away?
No. Families generally do not need to have every arrangement decided before contacting a funeral home. If your loved one made advance arrangements or documented their wishes, those plans can provide helpful direction. If no plans were made, family members may need some time to talk through the options together.
The funeral home can explain burial and cremation choices, answer questions, and help the family understand what each option involves.
You may need to make some decisions sooner than others, and the funeral home can help you understand what needs your attention first.
Do I Need to Have Any Information Ready When I Call?
You do not need to have every document or detail gathered before contacting a funeral home. If you are unsure what information you need, you can still make the call and the funeral home will guide you through the process.
The first conversation is important, however, because it allows the funeral home to begin coordinating next steps, including the transfer of your loved one and working with the appropriate medical provider to obtain information needed for the death certificate.
If possible, it can be helpful to have the following information available:
- Your loved one’s full legal name and home address
- Their date of birth and date of death
- Where the death occurred
- The name and contact information for their physician
- Whether they were receiving hospice or other medical care
- The name and contact information for the legal next of kin
- Whether your loved one named a healthcare power of attorney or authorized someone else to make healthcare decisions
- Your name, relationship to your loved one, and contact information
- Your loved one’s approximate weight, which helps the funeral home determine the personnel or equipment they may need for the transfer
- Whether your loved one made any advance funeral or cremation arrangements
If you do not know all of these details, do not wait to call. The funeral home can help you determine what information they need right away and what you can gather later. Sharing as much information as possible during the initial call can help move the process along and prevent delays, especially when the funeral home needs to complete paperwork or coordinate with a physician.
What Happens After My Loved One Is in the Funeral Home’s Care?
Once a loved one has been transferred into the funeral home’s care, the family will typically schedule a time to discuss arrangements.
For some families, many of these decisions have already been made through advance planning. For others, this may be the first time they have considered them.
The arrangement conversation may include:
- Burial or cremation
- Funeral, memorial, or Celebration of Life services
- Cemetery arrangements
- Obituary information
- Flowers, music, readings, photos, or other personal touches
- Death certificates and necessary paperwork
- Other ways to remember and honor your loved one
The funeral professional will explain your options and help your family understand what decisions you need to make and when.
What If My Loved One Already Made Advance Arrangements?
If your loved one made advance arrangements, let the funeral home know. Depending on how much they planned ahead, the funeral home may already have information about burial or cremation, service preferences, cemetery arrangements, personal requests, or financial arrangements.
The funeral home can review those plans with your family, explain what your loved one already decided, and walk you through any details that still need attention. Documenting these wishes ahead of time can also give your family more clarity and make those decisions a little easier.
What If I’m Not Sure What to Do Next?
That’s okay. Most people have very little experience with what to do when someone dies, and it’s normal to have questions about what comes next.
You don’t need to understand the entire process or have every decision made right away. Focus on the first step in front of you, ask questions when you have them, and give yourself time to work through the decisions that can wait.
Your loved one’s care team can guide you through what you need to do along the way.
Guidance When You Need It
Losing someone you love can leave you with a lot to process. You don’t need to understand every step or make every decision right away. Knowing who to contact and what to expect can make those first steps feel a little more manageable.
When the time comes to choose a funeral home, Coastal Funeral Center is here to answer questions, explain the process, and help your family understand what comes next. If you need guidance following the loss of a loved one, our advisors are here to help.
Additional articles that may be of interest:
- Recording Your Wishes: A Loving Gift for Your Family
- Advance Planning FAQs
- Celebration of Life: Navigating Funeral Options
About Coastal Funeral Center
At Coastal Funeral Center, we are committed to being dedicated guardians of family and community, while holding on to the legacy we established as a family-owned funeral home. Originally A.M Gamby Funeral Home, Coastal Funeral Center became part of the Green Hills Memorial Park in 2018 to better serve the community of the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula. During this transition, we expanded our services as an all-inclusive facility and built on the successes of Green Hills Memorial Park. We’re proud of our legacy of personal service and our deep roots in the community, which we’ve been part of for more than 80 years. We provide customized funeral service options that meet your financial needs and honor your loved one like the beautiful individual they were. To learn more, visit https://coastalfuneralcenter.com.
