What do you do when someone dies?

This depends on where the person has died and the cause of death. When someone dies at home and has been under the care of his or her doctor, you should call their doctor first. The doctor will prepare a death certificate. You then need to call your Funeral Director to arrange for your loved one to be transferred into their care. When someone dies in a nursing home, the home will call the Funeral Directors nominated by the family at the time the now deceased first took up residency.

When someone dies in a hospital, you need to call your Funeral Director who will make all the necessary arrangements with the hospital, transfer your loved one to the funeral home, and organise the funeral with you.

When a death is sudden and unexpected, accidental or a suicide, the doctor or the family must notify the Police. The Police will organise the transfer to the Coroners Department by the government contractor. In these circumstances the Coroner may require the deceased to undergo a post mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death. Funeral arrangements may be delayed until this examination has been completed and the necessary documentation supplied. Your Funeral Director will liaise with the Coroner and keep you up to date as to when release is expected.

When someone dies interstate or overseas, the local procedures must be followed and your Funeral Director will liaise with local authorities while making arrangements for the person to be brought home.

It always remains the privilege of the family to choose the Funeral Director. Ignore anyone who attempts to tell you otherwise. Even when the government-contracted company has taken the deceased to the Coroners Department, they hold no authority over your very personal choice of a Funeral Director.