When Death Occurs

Whether a death is sudden or expected, the loss of a loved one is indescribable. When you are in a heightened emotional state, even the most basic decisions can seem staggering. This section seeks to guide you through the immediate hours following a passing.

When death occurs at home or a place of business:

If the person was not under hospice care, the police may have to be notified immediately.  The police will be dispatched to the home and will place the call to the coroner or the family physician.  From there, the coroner or family physician will pronounce the death and determine whether further action is necessary.  The coroner or family physician must release the body before a funeral home can do anything.  If the person was under hospice care, contact the hospice representative, and they will notify family members what the proper procedures are to follow.

When a death occurs at a hospital/nursing home/hospice facility:

The staff of a care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, will notify you and the necessary authorities immediately after a death has occurred.  If a funeral home or transfer service name has been provided to the hospital or nursing home, they will be notified at the time of passing. A funeral director or transfer service operator will contact you as soon as they are notified of the death. They will ask a few questions about the deceased's wishes and set up a time to make arrangements.  If you are present at the nursing home when the funeral director or transfer service operator arrives, they may have this discussion with you in person. 

Informing a Funeral Director/Transfer Service Operator:

Once everything has been cleared with the proper authorities, the next call you place should be to a licensed funeral director or transfer service operator.  This individual will be here to help you obtain a death certificate, transport your loved one, and, in the event pre-planning was not done, select a casket, cremation container and or urn. Funeral directors and transfer service operators are there to help you and advise you. We are on call every minute of every day so do not hesitate to call us as we know you will have questions on your mind.

Meeting a Funeral Director/Transfer Service Operator

You should meet with a funeral director or transfer service operator within 24 hours of a death to begin making 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. Do not worry: our firm’s staff have years of experience, and will strive to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Making Arrangements:

First, the Funeral Director or Transfer Service Operator will gather information required for the registration of death and the death certificate.  This includes:

• Full Name and Address
• Social Insurance Number
• Date and City of Birth
• Marital Status
• Name of Spouse (if married or widowed)
• Father’s Name, Mother’s Name (including maiden name)
• Occupation and Employer

If no pre-planning has been done, necessary arrangements need to be made for the funeral service if requested by the family.  These include:

• 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

If you choose to have a farewell ceremony of some sort;

A funeral director or transfer service operator will guide you through all of these steps, using your wants, needs and desires as a foundation to create a memorable funeral for your loved one. From here the funeral services can be personalized.  Did your loved one have a favourite sports team?  What was their favourite type of music?  What activity was your loved one known best for?  Sharing these memories with the grieving process and will allow you to pay tribute to the life of your loved one.

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