When Death Occurs

No matter if a death is sudden, or if it something that was a long time coming, the loss of a loved one makes us feel emotional and overwhelmed.  No amount of preparation can fully prepare you for the loss of a loved one.  When you are in a heightened emotional state, even the most basic decisions can seem staggering. 

When a death occurs at a hospital, nursing home or hospice facility

The facility staff will notify the next of kin and the necessary authorities when a death occurs. 

The next of kin will provide the facility with the name of the funeral home they have selected.

The next of kin will also need to call Adams-Green Funeral Home to notify them a death has occurred and to schedule an arrangement conference. 

When death occurs at home

If the person was under hospice care, contact the hospice representative if they were not present.  They will come to the place of death and then notify the funeral home for you.

If the person was not under hospice care, call 911.  The police will determine if the deceased will be transported to the Medical Examiner or be released directly to a funeral home.

The next of kin will also need to call Adams-Green Funeral Home to notify them a death has occurred and to schedule an arrangement conference. 

Informing a Funeral Director

Once everything has been cleared with the proper authorities, the next call you place should be to a licensed funeral director.  Funeral directors are here to help you obtain a death certificate, transport the body, and in the event pre-planning was not done, select a casket/urn and arrange the funeral/memorial service. Funeral directors are here to help and advise you and will work very hard to relieve the stress and logistics involved in funeral planning.

Meeting a Funeral Director

You should meet with a funeral director, often within 24 hours of a death to begin to make final arrangements for your loved one.  Deciding on these final arrangements may seem like a very daunting task, especially when you are in heightened emotional state, but, funeral home staff have years of experience dealing with these issues, and strive to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Making Arrangements

The Funeral Director will gather information required for the death certificate.  This includes:

• Full Name
• Legal Address
• Social Security Number
• Marital Status
• Race/Ethnicity
• Date and Place of Birth
• Highest Level of Education
• Father’s Name, Mother’s Name (including maiden name)
• Name of Spouse (if married or widowed)
• Occupation

Your funeral director will assist you with:

• Scheduling the location, date and time of the visitation and funeral service
• Selecting burial or cremation
• Choosing Funeral Products
• Arranging a cemetery plot
• Preparing an obituary notice
• Scheduling transportation arrangements

Your funeral director will guide you through all these steps, using your wants, needs and desires as a foundation to create a memorable funeral for your loved one.

Have a question? Ask the Director