What to do when someone dies
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When a death occurs at home
When a death occurs at home it is usually necessary for the death to be verified before we can arrange transport to our mortuary facilities.
If a palliative care team is involved in the care of the person, they should be contacted for advice. Palliative care nurses and doctors are able to verify the death and will advise if they are able to provide a verification.
When a death is unexpected, it is important that 000 is called for either ambulance or police. When attending, these services can verify the death and make a decision about whether the Coroner’s Court needs to be involved. If referred to the Coroner’s Court, transportation will be arranged from the home to the court.
If emergency services decide that a referral to the Coroner’s Court is not required, we can be contacted to arrange a transfer into our care from the home with the verification from an ambulance or police officer. After we are contacted, we will usually arrive within 2 hours at any time of the day or night.
When a death occurs at an aged care home or palliative care home
When a death occurs at a care home, the nursing staff will usually verify the death and provide guidance about the timing of contacting a funeral service. Usually, aged care homes do not have mortuary facilities and prefer transfers to funeral homes be take place relatively soon after a person has died.
We can be contacted at any time during the day or night. Once contacted we can arrange a transfer immediately, arriving within 2 hours of receiving a phone call. You may ask the home to make the call on your behalf as this can make the process easier.
Families may choose to be in attendance when we arrive at care homes or if preferred, we can arrange a transfer without family present. If there are any specific requests related to items to travel with the person, it is recommended that these are made during the initial call from family or the home.
When a death occurs at a hospital
When a death occurs at a major hospital, funeral services usually do not need to be contacted immediately. Major hospitals in Melbourne have their own mortuary facilities and processes before permitting the transfer to a funeral service. When families would like an immediate transfer to occur, it is recommended that they request this with the hospital and contact us to arrange the transfer.
Smaller hospitals may not have mortuary facilities and like aged care homes may ask the next of kin to arrange contact with a funeral service quickly. This may be the case with the hospitals on the outskirts of Melbourne or in rural areas. As with care homes, we are able to liaise with hospitals to attend smaller hospitals soon after being called.
When a death has been referred to the Coroners Court of Victoria
When a death has been referred to the Coroner’s Court, usually the court will arrange transport into their care. Funeral services will arrange transport from the Coroner’s Court after their initial investigations are complete. This may take 5 -7 days. The Coroner’s Court have a Family Liaison Service who will provide updates and support to families regarding their requirements and the progression of their investigation.
Funeral services do not need to be contacted immediately, however family will be asked by the Coroner’s Court to nominate a funeral service. We can be contacted to provide information, our pricing or to make an appointment to arrange a funeral prior in advance of the transfer from the court.
For further information or support regarding our services and arranging a transfer into our care from any location, we can be contacted at any time, day or night on 9384 1100.