For families · A practical guide

After death.

In the first hours and days after a death, families are asked to make decisions while exhausted and grieving. This guide walks you through, in order, what needs to happen and what does not. There is more time than it feels like.

·In the first hour

Call us, not 911. The 24-hour line will dispatch a nurse. There is no medical emergency.
Sit with your loved one. The body remains unchanged for hours. There is no rush.
Keep the room quiet. Open a window if you wish. Some families like to play soft music or read aloud.
Bathe, dress, or pray as your traditions ask. The nurse can help if you'd like assistance.
Make tea. Sit. Cry. Be quiet. The next decisions are not urgent.

·What the hospice nurse does

Confirms death and pronounces the time.
Notifies the hospice physician for the death certificate.
Contacts the funeral home of your choice — name and number kept on file.
Destroys remaining controlled medications in your presence per DEA rules.
Helps you with what to say to family and friends, if asked.
Stays with you until the funeral home arrives.

·The funeral home

The funeral home will arrive in their own time — usually within an hour or two of being called. They will ask gently if you'd like a few more minutes. They will move your loved one with care.

You do not need to have arrangements pre-made to call them. Most families make the next decisions — burial or cremation, viewing, service — over the next day or two.

·The first days

Things that need doing

Notify immediate family.
Decide on burial or cremation.
Plan a service — or decide not to.
Order death certificates (10 is a useful number).
Notify Social Security (the funeral home often handles this).
Cancel future medical appointments.

Things that can wait

Banks and accounts.
Life insurance claims.
The will and probate.
Subscriptions, memberships, mail.
Going through belongings.
Big decisions about the house.

Equipment & medications

We will collect what we delivered.

The hospital bed, oxygen, walker, commode, and other equipment we brought are scheduled for pickup, usually within a few days. Remaining controlled medications were destroyed by the nurse. Other medications can be brought to a DEA take-back location, or set aside for our team to dispose of safely.

·Bereavement support — for at least 13 months

Grief is real work, and you should not do it alone. A bereavement counselor will reach out within the first two weeks. From there, the cadence is yours — cards, calls, support groups, individual sessions, all at no cost. We continue for at least thirteen months because we know the second of every important day is sometimes harder than the first.

If you would prefer not to be contacted, please tell us — we will respect that. The door remains open.

"You did this well. We saw it. The way you stayed, the way you spoke softly, the way you held the room — your loved one knew."

☎

We are still here

(903) 470-1994

For 13 months and beyond.