It’s the phone call you never want to hear, but receiving news of a loved one’s death in a care home is a very real possibility. Similarly to a death at home, you should always be aware of the steps you need to take in these circumstances and have a plan in place for an expected death in a care home.
At a care home, you might be with the person when they pass away or you may be alerted to the death by care home staff. If you are not with your loved one when they die, the care home staff will notify you as soon as this happens. You will be able to see your loved one too, upon request.
When someone dies in a care home, the procedure is slightly different to a home death and a hospital death.
As the average stay in a care home may vary from person to person, care home deaths can be unexpected and so it’s important to ensure you are sufficiently prepared.
When someone dies in a care home, you’ll need to get the death confirmed officially by a medical professional before any further action can be taken.
If the death was expected the medical professional will issue a Medical Certificate, allowing you to register the death.
In the case of an unexpected death in a care home or if the death is suspicious, the deceased may need to enter the care of a coroner first who’ll conduct an investigation into the cause of death.
The staff's main focus is to honour the resident’s wishes and provide support to their family members during this difficult time. Once the death is verified, the care home staff will take special care of your loved one. They will gently position them on their back and make sure they look peaceful by closing their eyes, cleaning their mouth, and tidying their hair. They will also wash and dress your loved one, unless there are specific cultural or religious reasons not to, or if a coroner needs to be involved. Afterwards, the body will be moved to a private room where family and friends can visit and say their goodbyes.
Regarding your loved one’s possessions, the care home staff will keep them safe until they can be collected by the next of kin. The care home will contact you to arrange a convenient time for this and will ask you to sign paperwork to confirm that you have received these items.
Care home residents who were responsible for the funding of their own care may have outstanding care home fees charged to their estate after they pass. The care home in which they reside is responsible for issuing an invoice to the person in charge of the estate of the deceased, and the money can be taken from their bank account(s) or the sale of their property.
It’s worth noting that any next of kin will not be financially responsible for settling the unpaid costs accumulated during the stay.
Next, you’ll need to make arrangements for the deceased to be cared for until you’re able to hold a funeral. 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 we 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 funeralArranging the funeral service involves several steps that can be personalised to honour the life and wishes of your loved one. You'll need to decide on the type of service that best reflects their personality and legacy. This could range from a traditional funeral, with funeral readings and funeral hymns, to a smaller, intimate attended cremation.
Arranging the funeral service involves several steps that can be personalised to honour the life and wishes of your loved one. You may want to personalise the service with funeral music, photo displays, and tributes that resonate with the life being remembered. Selecting flowers, creating programs, and determining the sequence of events are all parts of the planning process where you can inject personal touches that make the funeral unique.
While 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 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 ashes 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
