When Death Occurs

When a loved one passes, certain steps need to be taken immediately. The first is to notify the proper authority.

If your loved one died in a hospital, hospice or nursing home, the medical staff will notify the relevant authorities on your behalf. If your loved one died at home following a terminal illness, you should first notify the doctor or healthcare facility that had been providing treatment (if you don’t know, look on the prescription bottles).

If your loved one died unexpectedly and not in a healthcare facility, you must call 911 immediately. Emergency services will come to confirm the death and then call the Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME-C). The ME-C will decide whether an autopsy is necessary to determine the cause and manner of the death. If an autopsy is required, the body is taken into custody by the ME-C.

If your loved one died in another state, call us. We can still help you and arrange for transportation back home. If you ask a funeral director in the state where death took place, you’ll incur an additional, and unnecessary, cost.

If your loved one died while traveling abroad, contact the nearest consulate and then call us for guidance about transporting the remains back to the USA.

After the property authorities have been contacted, you may go ahead and begin making cremation arrangements by calling us at 800-922-7773. We will walk you through the process and next steps, and soon after pick up your loved one. You won’t need to make any appointments or see a funeral director, but we’re always available to answer any questions you have.