When Someone Dies
What do I need to do when a loved one dies at home?
When a loved one dies at home, you need to contact either the police department or the coroner's department of the jurisdiction in which you reside. Unless you have previously made arrangements, you knew that the death was imminent and you made previous arrangements for the funeral establishment, then you can contact the funeral establishment and they will come and pick up the body for you.
What do I need to do when a loved one dies outside the home or in a hospital?
If a loved one dies outside the home, and it's an expected death - you've already made funeral arrangements - you can contact the funeral establishment that you have the arrangements with and they will facilitate removal of the body for you. If your loved one dies in a hospital, normally the attending physician is who you would need to contact, or one of the hospital staff, and they will direct you from there.
Who will notify me if a loved one dies outside the home or in a hospital?
When a loved one dies outside the home or in a hospital, if it's a tragic death, you'll be notified by the coroner or the police department of the jurisdiction within that area. Otherwise, you'll probably be notified by someone at the workplace. If they knew that the death was going to happen anyway, someone will contact you and let you know.
What do I do if a loved one dies at work?
If a loved one dies at work, you will be notified by someone probably from the workplace. An exception would be if it's a death that is unnatural, in which case you will be contacted by the police department or coroner's office in the jurisdiction where the death occurred.
What do I do if a loved one dies on vacation or while traveling?
If a loved one dies while on vacation or traveling, normally that would not be a death that you would be expecting and so you should contact the police or coroner's office in the jurisdiction where you are.
How do I handle the disposition of a human body?
You can be helped with the disposition of a human body in several different ways. A funeral establishment can help you, a cremation service can help you, non-profit services can help you and certainly your church or religious group can help you. A person that has the right to make decisions regarding the disposition of a deceased body should be listed in the will. In the absence of a will there will be the spouse or children or parents. Also, in some areas, domestic partners are also allowed to make the decisions regarding the deceased.
What are the legal ways to dispose of a human body?
The legal ways to dispose of a human body are burial in a cemetery and cremation. Disposing of a human body through cremation could include interring the remains in a cemetery, scattering them at sea or scattering them in a favorite place that you might have, as long as you get legal permission from the health department and the jurisdiction where you're wanting to do the scattering. You can legally dispose of a human body yourself if it's cremated. Most cemeteries won't allow you to assist in the process of actually doing the interment. Some places will allow you to actually do the interment on your property, but you need to check with the local health department or registration to make sure that that is something legal where you are.
What will happen to the deceased's body in the first few hours?
What may happen to the deceased body in the first few hours is the start of decomposition. You may see some marbling in the deceased body and there may be some fluids that actually come from the body. It really depends on the environment and other situations that may have occurred while that person was in the process of dying. What will happen to the deceased body also is dependent on the medication they were on, and again, the environment really plays a huge part in what happens when a body starts to decompose.
How can I preserve a body for a family viewing at home?
The best way to preserve a body for a family viewing, whether it be at home or any location, would be through the embalming process. However, cooling the body down will also slow down the process of decomposition and help to preserve the body.
What is "organ donation"?
Organ donation is usually the dissection of the body for medical analysis. It usually does not entail organ transplantation which is what most people believe organ donation to be. It's more for the research and development of new surgical techniques in the medical field.
Why would I want to donate my organs?
You would want to donate your organs for the benefit of medical science as well as possibly learning the cure for incurable diseases. You should also be very informed about what your donated organs are going to be used for. They're not always going to be used for transplantation as most people think. Donated organs are more likely going to be used for teaching purposes, so be very informed about what it is what your organs are going to be used for.
How do I donate my body to science?
You can donate your body to science by contacting medical school institutions or will body programs. Normally there is no cost associated with donating your body to science programs and they will help you through the entire process.
