Immediately following the death of a loved one, there are many decisions that must be made. At this time, you may find your emotions are heightened, and for that reason, it is a good idea to ask for help in making all of the arrangements. Our team of funeral professionals is honored to assist you and your family through this process.
Before any arrangements and decisions can be made, a legal pronouncement of death must be declared. If your loved one dies inside of a medical or nursing facility like a hospital or nursing home, the staff there will handle getting this declaration made. If your loved one dies at home, you need to immediately contact the local emergency officials to come and take them to a hospital where they can be legally declared dead. Family members who die under hospice care can be declared dead by the hospice staff. This legal declaration must be made before the family can proceed with making any funeral arrangements or handling any legal affairs.
Once your loved one has been declared dead, contact us. Your loved one may have preplanned services, and you and your family should first look into those choices. If your loved one has not made any previous type of arrangements, we can begin to discuss the options available.
Following the death of your loved one, there are a few things you need to attend to involving the deceased’s personal life. First, make sure their home and vehicle are properly secure. If your loved one had a pet, make the necessary arrangements for the pet to be taken care of. Any mail that comes to your loved one should be forwarded to a family member who plans to handle the deceased’s estate. Mail that piles up at a vacant home only alerts potential intruders that a home is empty. Make sure to contact the deceased’s boss and inform them of the death. If your loved one had any upcoming appointments, make contact to notify them about the death and to cancel the appointment.
Quick Links
Sign up for one year of weekly grief messages designed to provide strength and comfort during this challenging time.
Verifying your email address
Unsubscribing your email address
You will no longer receive messages from our email mailing list.
Your email address has successfully been added to our mailing list.
There was an error verifying your email address. Please try again later, or re-subscribe.
© Helke Funeral Home and Cremation Service. All Rights Reserved.
© Helke Funeral Home and Cremation Service. All Rights Reserved.