Steps You Need to Take After a Loved One Passes

Death is the most certain truth mankind knows about life, and yet, it is always shocking and upsetting. Whether it happens suddenly or even when it is expected, death brings with it a mixture of emotions and can truly change those who are still living. 

This is why it’s always extremely difficult when someone who is close to us passes, it comes as a shock accompanied by a rollercoaster of emotions. People often struggle with keeping themselves together and thinking clearly after receiving such news that they don’t know how to respond. This will show you the steps you need to take after a loved one passes.

Getting a medical certificate that officially declares death is the first step to take after the passing of a loved one. The way to go around it depends on where the death occurred; if it was in a hospital, nursing home, or under Hospice care, the staff usually takes care of the declaration. If the death occurred at home, you’ll need to call a medical professional to make the declaration of death; a critical part of getting a death certificate. You just call 911 and notify them of the situation to send a doctor who will carry out the necessary procedures. 

The next step is to contact the Register of Births and Deaths in your area to make an appointment for death registration within five days from it. It can only be registered by a relative or someone who was present at death. They’ll need to take the medical death declaration certificate, their birth certificate, and marriage certificate, if applicable. They’ll ask for you to fill out some forms regarding the personal information of the deceased. It includes things like their full name, last address, date/place of death, occupation, and information regarding their marital status. You should know that it is illegal to not register a death and this step also gives the green light for funeral homes to starting burial plans.

Once you’re done with all the urgent legal procedures, what comes next might be difficult but very necessary. You’ll need to contact close family and friends of the deceased to notify them of their loved one’s death. As for other people who know the deceased, you can go through their phone contacts or emails and send a mass message to deliver the news, or you can use their social media. Next, you’ll need to notify all places and establishments the deceased was associated with, especially their job, religious community, life insurance company, as well as governmental institutions like banks. 

Most people make arrangements for when they pass away expressed whether officially in a will or to a trusted person. You’ll first and foremost need to know if they wanted to be an organ donor since harvesting organs needs to be done in a specific timeframe to be useful. They will have also expressed their wishes regarding their burial and funeral arrangements; whether they want to be buried or cremated, where they want to be buried, and how the funeral should look like. It’s important to get to know all these details to honor these wishes so they can rest in peace.

Once you’ve agreed with family members about how the funeral will look like according to the deceased's wishes or their own, it’s time to start the funeral organization. Take your time in searching among funeral service providers to find one that suits your needs as well as your budget. It’s important to understand all the options the funeral home provides to choose the one most suitable. They will help you in achieving the funeral arrangement you decided to go with as well as arrange any personal or religious ceremonies you wish to be held in celebration of the deceased‘s life. 

To make sure your loved one truly rests in peace, you’ll need to take care of all that they left behind. Most importantly, you’ll need to make arrangements for their dependents or pets, if there are any. Next, you’ll need to pay out any important bills or financial claims which can also help you know which ongoing bills need to be canceled if they will be no longer used. Another important aspect to care for is making sure their will is carried out by contacting its executor and following up on its application and distribution of assets according to expressed wishes. 

What comes next after taking care of all these steps is the most important part; taking time for yourself to heal. You will probably be too occupied with arrangements and procedures that you will not yet process the reality of what happened. As soon as the funeral is done, you may be hit with the sudden wave of realization accompanied by overwhelming feelings. This is why it’s important to take time for self-care; to process and grieve properly. You can always reach out for professional help with grief counselors or psychologists.