When a death occurs
When the unfortunate event of a death occurs, there are a number of tasks which must be completed in order for the legal responsibilities to be fulfilled and also to enable the funeral arrangements to take place. All of these tasks are difficult to comprehend at the time when grief affects the emotions and actions of an individual, family relatives or friends. This is when the experience and knowledge of professionals is vital and the role of the funeral director becomes essential.
Below we have provided a guide of what needs to be done when a death occurs according to where it has taken place.
At Home
If the death occurs at home immediately contact your GP or the doctor on call to report the death to them. The doctor will then come to your home and upon issue of a death certificate; you are free to contact us to convey the deceased to our private chapel of rest. If the doctor is unable to issue a death certificate they will contact the local coroner who will make the necessary arrangements for the deceased to be taken into their care.
If the death occurs within a nursing or residential home the same applies.
In Hospital
If the death occurs in a hospital, the nursing staff will advise you when and where to collect the death certificate.
If the death occurs in a public place, the coroner is automatically involved and in this instance there will be no certificate of cause of death. The coroner will advise you of the procedures involved and when you can register the death.
Registering a death
All deaths have to be registered in the district where the death occurred, but arrangements can be made to physically register in another area by declaration. We can advise you how to register the death, but we are not permitted by law to complete the registration of death for you.
To register the death you need to have a simple interview with the Registrar at the Registry Office and they will require specific basic information about the deceased.
The registrar will require;
• The full name of the deceased
• Home address of the deceased
• Date and place of birth and death
• The last known occupation of the deceased (if applicable)
• The marital status of the deceased
• If the deceased is female and was married, her maiden name, her husband's full name and occupation will also need to be provided
• Medical certificate of & 'cause of death'
You will also need to take the ‘certificate of cause of death’ provided to you by the GP or hospital, in cases where the deceased is a friend or acquaintance it would prove helpful to take a form of their identification to ensure that the correct spelling of their name is entered correctly onto the register, as the amendment process can be complicated. In the instance that the coroner is involved they will advise you when to register and they will send the certificate directly to the Registrar.
The following people can register the death.
• Any relative of the person who has died.
• Any person present at the death.
• The person who lives in the house where the person died.
• The person arranging the funeral, but not ourselves as funeral director.
The Registrar will issue a Green Certificate, which should be given to us as soon as possible so we are able to proceed with the funeral arrangements.
Copies of the Entry of Death (often known as Death Certificates) may be obtained from the Registrar upon payment of the appropriate fee and will be required for Insurance purposes, probate, Bank accounts, private pension schemes, National Savings Certificates, Premium Bonds etc.
Arranging the Funeral
Funerals are an important part in the grieving process, as well as an opportunity to honour a life lived. They offer surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death. Often funerals are the first step in the healing process.
An important factor in the arrangements of a funeral service for your loved one is our ability to listen to your needs and desires and if you are unsure we can help you determine them, gently and in a caring, professional manner.
Arrangements can be conducted by our funeral director, Mr Simon Webb in the comfort of your own home or at our office.
Our responsibility is to let you know the many options available which will enable you to make the appropriate decisions that will result in a truly meaningful service. We will ensure that personal attention is given to every detail, and that all individual preference have been satisfied.
We can arrange professional printed ‘Order of Service’ sheets to your individual wishes.
When arranging the funeral we can also provide assistance with compiling obituary notices for local and national newspapers and place them on your behalf.
Burial or Cremation
This decision may be influenced by many factors, such as family tradition, religion or the wishes of the person who has died and is often a very personal choice.
Whether cremation or burial, we can assist you and your family with all of the necessary arrangements.
We can also provide you with advice on memorials and any local regulations, which you should be made aware of.
Flowers & Memorials
Floral Tributes
Flowers are traditionally the most silent but visible sign of your love and respect. If the deceased had a favourite flower or colour these can be incorporated to add a more personal touch.
We can help arrange for floral tributes of your choice to be supplied by local florists, just give them our details and we can make the necessary arrangements with them. We can also except floral tributes purchased independently which can be delivered to our office.
After the funeral we will present you with a photograph of the floral tributes, together with the sympathy cards. If requested, these tributes will be distributed to a place of your choice, i.e. Hospitals, nursing homes, etc., so that they may be appreciated by others.
Many people now request family flowers only and for donations to be made to a charity that was important to the deceased. We can accept donations on your behalf, together with the retiring collection.
Memorials
We have close working relationships with local monumental masons, who will be able to help you with the arranging of headstones or cremation tablets as appropriate. We can also arrange for existing memorials to be removed and stored safely.