The moment a loved one passes away can often be overwhelming but understanding what to do when a death occurs can ease the burden of stress and provide a sense of direction during this difficult time. Depending upon where your loved one passes away, or the circumstances of the death will determine who needs to be notified of their death first.

• Home Death: If your loved one passes away at home and is not under the care of hospice you will need to first call 911 and a police officer will respond to your home. Once the officer has arrived at your home and has made the pronouncement of death, then please ask them to call the funeral home for you.
• Hospital/Hospice/Nursing Home: If your loved one passes away at a hospital, under the care of hospice, or in the care of a nursing home you will need to first contact the nurse or physician if they are not already present. Once the nurse or physician arrives and has made the pronouncement of death, then ask the nurse or physician to contact the funeral home for you.
• Medical Examiner or Coroner Cases: In most cases, if your loved one passes away at a nursing home or at their home and is not under hospice care the medical examiner will be called. If your loved one is taken into the care of the medical examiner, you will then need to sign an authorization before the medical examiner can release your loved one into the care of the funeral home.

Here at Cremation Society of Missouri we understand that no death is easy on family and friends but having the knowledge of what to do when a death occurs can make help make the situation simpler and less stressful. For information on what to do when death occurs please click the link below.
https://missouricremate.com/helpful-info/forms-library/