What To Do First

After a death has occurred, there will be a multitude of considerations and decisions to make. Understanding where to start can help to ease the difficulty of the process.

Immediately after the death has occurred, it will be important to either call 911 or, if the deceased was under hospice care, you will need to notify the hospice nurse. Depending on where the death occurs, either the hospital, hospice facility, long term care facility, or other individual will generally call the funeral home for you.

People to Contact

The first thing to do is contact the following people as soon as possible:

• Your chosen funeral home
• Relatives and friends of the deceased
• Personal Representative
• Cemetery where you want or own property
• Employers
• Insurance Agencies
• Applicable organizations and unions (religious, fraternal, civic, and veterans)
• Lawyer and Accountant

Obtain Necessary Information

There is necessary information that must be obtained as soon as possible. You need to have the full legal name, date and place of birth, social security number, home address, father’s name and birthplace, mother’s name and birth place (including her maiden name), occupation and industry, and the level of education reached.

There are also many documents that you must collect to continue with many of the required processes. These papers include the will, marriage license, insurance policies, car ownership papers, military discharge papers, birth certificate, citizenship papers (if applicable), bank books, deeds, income tax returns, and more.

Following these processes, it will be necessary to discuss final arrangements with your chosen funeral home. This will help you to make decisions, such as whether your loved one is to be buried or cremated, as well as many other aspects. Handling the final arrangements of a loved one is a stressful, emotional time. Here at Russon Mortuary & Crematory, our compassionate and experienced staff can help to ease your burden during this time and guide you through the necessary processes.