When someone passes away the first step you can take is to call a funeral home, they will guide you through the following steps and offer suggestions to cater for every situation.
The funeral director will be asking some of the following questions…
The funeral arrangement does not need to be done the same day — we encourage you to take time to rest, regroup,
and talk as a family before we sit down with you.
You may like to start thinking about the type of funeral you wish to have and if the deceased had left instructions or specific requests to be carried out.
We will help you every step of the way in the decision-making process and provide you with any information you may need.
More often that not, a natural death occurs in a hospital or nursing home rather than a home. The following information details what happens when a death occurs.
Following a death in a hospital, hospice or nursing home medical staff will contact the doctor to issue a death certificate. The nursing staff will notify the next of kin and family members. Nursing staff will usually prepare the deceased and you will be able to spend time with them before we transfer the deceased into our care.
You should phone the deceased’s doctor as soon as possible so the Doctor can verify
the death and confirm that they can sign the medical Death Certificate. Once a Death Certificate has been signed we can then transfer the deceased into our care at our funeral home.
When an unexpected death occurs in the home, hospital or in a public place then the death may need to be referred to the Coroners office. Here js an outline of the first stages; of the coronial process,
The following are reasons why a death may be referred to the Coroner:
A death by accident, whether it involves motor vehicles or not, will involve the Police.Once they have completed their scene examination they will organise for a Funeral Director to transfer the deceased to the Coroners Mortuary. The Police will call the Funeral Director of your choice once the Coroner has completed the formalities. You are not obliged to use the same Funeral Director who transported the deceased to the Coroners Mortuary.
Apart from an accident, examples of unexpected death could be where there is no serious health history, possible violence, or no recent consultation with a doctor. In such circumstances you should call the Police as well as your doctor. The Police will determine if the death needs to be referred to the Coroner.
In cases where the cause of death is not obvious, the Police will notify the Coroner. The Coroner will carry out further investigative work to determine the cause of death. When this has been completed, the deceased will then be released to the family to arrange the funeral. You will need to inform the Coroner which Funeral Director you wish to use. www.coronerscourt.govt.nz www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw0mKnJLJMQ
Further Steps You May Need To Take
When the death of a loved one occurs there are some steps you may need to take. These steps will ensure medical and legal professionals carry out their duties so then funeral arrangements can begin to take place.
If the death has occurred at home you will need to contact the family doctor to certify the death.
If you are on your own one of your first phone calls should be to a family member or a close friend who can be of immediate support. They may be able to come and be with you or contact other family members for you. Their assistance will take some of the immediate pressure off you.
In some circumstances the deceased may have left funeral instructions in their will they wished to be carried out. This can be done once them have transferred your loved one into their care.
You should take some time to think about the family's wishes. There is a common misunderstanding that a funeral must take place within three days of the death. This is not so in most cultures, and you can take as long as you wish or as much time as you need. Often family members come from overseas for a funeral and you may need to allow time for them to arrive.
Please be assured that we are here to meet your needs and answer your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I want to let you know that Morris & Morris were unbelievable at our tragic time of need. I would highly recommend them in your time of need. They showed the utmost level of professionalism I have ever seen.
We recently lost our beautiful mum. Aaron Gray from Morris and Morris was kind, compassionate and caring in his guidance through this sad time. Thank you Aaron and the team at Morris and Morris.
David and the team at Morris and Morris were extremely helpful and caring recently when arranging our son's funeral. Nothing we asked for was too much. Thanks for making it so memorable and special for us.