When someone dies in a hospital, it’s likely that you’ll be able to be with the deceased as they pass away and also be able to spend some time with them and you’ll likely be made aware that death is imminent and be able to prepare for it. Though knowing that the death of a loved one is imminent doesn’t take away the impact of the loss, and there are still some important things worth knowing before it happens.
Below is a step-by-step guide to what to do when someone dies in a hospital.
Registering a death in a hospital is usually quite straightforward. As there are medical professionals all around, you’ll typically receive your medical certificate shortly after the death, allowing you to register the death. However, if the death occurred within 24 hours of arrival at the hospital or was unexpected, a coroner may be referred to determine the correct cause of death.
Next, you’ll need to decide on the funeral arrangements. There are mortuary facilities at a hospital where your loved one will be cared for until the decision regarding the funeral arrangements has been reached. If the deceased held a prepaid funeral plan, you’ll need to get in touch with the relevant funeral provider and make them aware of what’s happened. If the deceased didn’t have a prepaid funeral plan, you’ll need to instruct the services of a funeral provider of your choosing like us here at Distinct Cremations.
Whether funeral care was pre-arranged or instructed at the time of death, your funeral provider will carefully explain the next steps to you and help you to understand what to expect thereafter.
We are open 24/7 and will make all the arrangements from taking the deceased into our care to completing all the paperwork. Our customer service specialists will liaise with you to make arrangements for the cremation and keep you updated.
Call us to arrange on 01543 212 000
Arrange a funeralWhile in the care of the funeral provider, the deceased will be respectfully cared for throughout their stay. At Distinct Cremations, this means they’ll be bathed, including a hair wash and brush, and dressed ahead of the funeral. We will also conduct any additional services, if needed, such as the removal of pacemakers or artificial mechanisms which is included in the cost.
We'll also make provisions to rest the deceased in their coffin to be transported to the funeral venue and we will let you know the date of the cremation.
Once the funeral service has taken place, at Distinct Cremations we will hand-deliver the ashes back to you within 14 days of the cremation at no extra cost. You can also have the ashes scattered in the crematorium's garden of remembrance if you prefer.
If you have chosen a different provider, they will notify you of the arrangements regarding the return of ashes. If you choose a burial, it is recommended that a headstone be erected no sooner than 6 months so the ground around the burial site can reset properly. The Registered Grave Owner will notify you of the details.
Arranging a funeral with Distinct is straightforward and our customer service specialists are available 24/7 for any of your questions.
When you are ready, you can call us any time of the day, 365 days a year, and we will collect your loved one from the place of death, bringing them into our care.
Call On 01543 212 000
Whilst your loved one is cared for in our high quality mortuary facilities, our customer service specialists will contact you to book the cremation and complete all the paperwork.
We will tell you the cremation date, if you wish to know. Your loved one's can then be scattered in our garden of remembrance or returned to you at no extra cost.
Oak Tree Court, Brookfield Drive, Cannock, WS11 0JN
