What You Need to Do When a Loved One Dies

Losing a loved one is one thing, but it’s an entirely different experience when you’re tasked with handling their personal affairs and funeral arrangements. We understand how overwhelming it can be; that’s why we’ve prepared a checklist of things to do when you find yourself in such a situation. 

Here might be the responsibility of an executor so if that isn’t you, be sure to work closely with the executor. 

Immediate Actions

Get legal pronouncement

Should the death have occurred in a healthcare facility, doctors handle this for you. But, if the death occurred at home or any other location, you need to take an extra step and call 911 and if they passed in hospice care, be sure to call the hospice nurse.

Notify family and friends

Every family has a different way of doing this- there’s no predetermined way of delivering the news. For some, it’s better to do it in person than over the phone. For others, a simple message or email might work. Be sure to use it appropriately. 

Decide how the body will be handled.

First, be sure to determine if they had any wishes as to how they wanted their final disposition. If there are no expressed wishes, you could call a funeral home to help you with organizing a funeral and any other logistics for that matter. Also, call a cremation company to arrange for cremation if that is accepted in your culture.

Contact organ donation organizations if your loved ones have registered as an organ donor. And, if they weren’t registered, many organizations accept the donations from the next of kin. Organ donation is the right way of wanting the loved one to help others even after death. 

Arrange care for dependents, including pets

Quickly find someone to provide temporary care to your loved one’s pet or any people they were responsible for as you figure out a more sustainable solution. 

Secure their Property

Make sure that their home and vehicles are well-secured, especially if they live alone. If it was a rented property, be sure to notify the landlord. Also, you could inform the police to keep an eye on the property. 

Notify their employer 

Be sure to notify the employer or any organization they were actively volunteering. This is the ideal time to know more about their life insurance, pay owed, and other benefits.

What to Do in the Coming Few Days

Decide on funeral arrangements.

If you settled on a funeral home, be sure to meet the directors to go through the available options. Whether it was an immediate burial, donation, or cremation, you might need to hold a memorial service. Be sure to get the monument event options to better plan a meaningful event.

Order an urn or casket

Ordering urns and caskets through funeral homes were popular options until the age of online shopping. Be sure to shop for a high-quality one to offer your loved one an honorable send-off.

Ask for a mail from the post office.

You might want to avoid mails piling up on the property after your loved one is gone. Ask the post office to forward all the mails to help you close accounts that need be and settle pending bills. The post office will need proof that you’re indeed authorized to handle the mails- as an executor or next of kin, this will be easy.

Have a thorough check on the property

Water the plants, discard expired stuff, and generally tend to anything that requires regular care as you think about long-term solutions.

Prepare an obituary

Coordinate with family and friends to draft an obituary. There are various templates online if you’re well-versed with preparing one. Do you want it published in the local dailies? Make sure you have set aside a few hundred dollars for that.

What to Do as the Funeral or Memorial Service Nears

Do you need any financial help?

The cost of a funeral and memorial service can be a burden to a grieving family. It’s of no help to talk about that now. Consider getting financial assistance through various crowdfunding campaigns or fundraising from friends and extended family.

Settle on funeral participants

Who will do the scripture readings? Who will give eulogies? Are the pallbearers in the know? Be sure to cover these basics and discuss them with the planners.

Set funeral schedule

Identify the place for all the events and determine the timings of the structure. Jot down everything you want to happen for a smoother flow.

Losing a loved one is a challenging and overwhelming experience. These tips will make it easier for you to manage the incident.