Whenever a death occurs, the family is often unsure of what steps should be taken next. It’s not every day that we encounter the heartache and grief that can accompany a loved one’s passing. In like manner, many of us may not know who to turn to for support, what should be done, and what options are before us. Thankfully a good funeral home and cremations service in Summerville, SC can provide the necessary guidance to move through the sorrowful experience.
However, there is much that needs to be handled before the funeral or memorial service can occur. In those moments and hours after death occurs, certain steps need to happen that will bring authorities and your preferred funeral home into a supporting role. Here are the immediate steps to take after a loved one dies:
Call the Authorities
The location of the death will influence who should be contacted. If your loved one dies in a medical establishment, such as a hospital or assisted living center, the staff and medical personnel should be alerted as soon as possible. If you are not present when death happens, the staff may alert you. When a death occurs at a place of work or at home, contact emergency care and your doctor. They will facilitate the documentation and cause of death. If a death happens and no one else is around, inform the police right away. They will come to the place where the deceased person lays to make a formal determination as to the cause of death. Leave the body in place until the authorities give permission to move it.
Call a Funeral Home and Cremations Provider in Summerville, SC
If advance funeral planning has been done, the funeral services and provider will be ready to serve you in your time of need. Just place a call to them for additional support and guidance about what comes next. After the authorities have completed their work, the funeral team may come to retrieve the body of the deceased at the place of death, or as otherwise arranged.
If services are at-need, meaning they are not pre-planned, you should still reach out to a funeral home for immediate support. It’s best if you have done your due diligence before the moment of need arrives. But if the time comes before you have determined which funeral services or cremation care provider you wish to hire, a referral from a trusted friend, a hospital service recommendation, or even a google search for a qualified provider in the area will do. Just do your best. The funeral staff will inform you what steps should be taken after you reach out to them for support.
Visit the Funeral Home
You’ll need to hold an arrangement conference with the funeral director and their staff. In the meeting, they will present you with options for service and disposition type, help you to choose service date and time, service location, what memorial products would best support the occasion, finalize the cost of care that maintains your budget, etc. Discussions about the deceased will include some deeper conversation in order to aid with the personalization of the funeral or celebration of life and to help plan what would be most meaningful to the family and friends who attend. Custom activities such as a special Harley-Davidson or horse-drawn carriage service is not unheard of, but truly the personalized attention can be almost anything that appropriately suits the character and personality of the deceased.
If a pre-needs plan is in place, this meeting will be easier to navigate since the wishes of the deceased are known in advance. This helps surviving family and friends by easing the burden of planning and paying for a service where they are offering their best guess as to what the deceased might have wanted.
Obtain Official Death Certificate
The death certificate is important because it allows the surviving family and executor to act on behalf of the deceased to manage any open affairs such as bank accounts, sale of property, benefit claims, deed transfers, etc. A competent funeral home and cremations provider in Summerville, SC can help you to obtain this document. They will likely advise you to purchase additional certified copies for use as needed.
Inform Family and Friends
Telling friends and family about the death is an important priority, and should occur as quickly as possible. The news is best delivered in person or by phone to those who were closest to the deceased. Casual friends, colleagues, and other associates can be notified by other means, including social media, email, or obituary.
Here to Serve
At McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation, we believe in helping families to lay down their loved ones in a meaningful, and comforting manner. Whatever service style you choose, our funeral and cremations professionals in Summerville, SC are ready to help you create a beautiful tribute service for the one you’ve lost. Visit us at 869 St James Ave, Goose Creek, SC 29445, or call day or night at (843) 553-1511.
