Several things need to be considered when a death occurs. The order in which things need to be done usually depends on whether the death occurred at a residence, a public place, a care center, or in a hospital.

• If the death occurs in a residence and no one is there at the time of death, the police will need to be notified and respond to the residence before the deceased is removed from their home.
• If the death occurs in a hospital or care center, the name of the funeral home may be left with them, and the institution will notify the funeral home at the time of the death. The funeral home will respond and at the next practical time, review matters with the family.
• If in any case the death should occur and you are not sure of who to notify or what to do, you may call your funeral home and they will assist you in notifying the proper agencies.

Today, a large number of families choose to be at home with Hospice or a Home Health Care provider to assist them until the death occurs. Usually the family will notify Hospice or the Home Healthcare provider, so they may notify the appropriate persons and organizations when death occurs. Hospice or your Home Health Care provider will contact the physician, the Medical Examiner's office, and even call the funeral home.

In all instances when death occurs at home, the Medical Examiner's office needs to be notified. When Hospice or a Home Health Care Provider is involved, a simple phone call is the only notification that the Medical Examiner needs. In most cases, the Medical Examiner does not need to visit your residence to review any information.

If the deceased was under a physician’s care and Hospice or a Home Health Care provider was not involved and family is present, the family may want to call the funeral home directly. Also, the emergency number 911 should be dialed and usually an ambulance and police crew police will then need to come to the residence. Then, the police will need to follow through with their normal investigation before calling the funeral home. However, if the family calls the funeral home first, the funeral home will notify the proper authorities.

There are several other questions that you may have in regards to the death of your loved one, such as: “Is embalming necessary?”, “Do I need to purchase a casket?”, “What about cemetery arrangements?”, “What kind of service do I want?” By contacting Boze-Mitchell McKibbin Funeral Home, we will be able to help you answer the questions and make the appropriate final plans for your loved one. However, one of the best ways to make sure that all of your questions and desires are taken care of is to make pre-arrangements. This is as simple as outlining your wishes to having all of the details written down and the financial arrangements prepaid. Please contact one of our staff to learn more.

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