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Death procedure?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Apologies if this sounds morbid but I came close to having a death in the family recently, a relative just about survived a heart attack.

This got me wondering: if I had been the only next of kin, what's the procedure when someone dies? Obviously the funeral has to be arranged, there's a post mortem etc but how soon do they happen?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As soon as possible really. What would happen, is someone dies, they have a post mortem, then a family member signs the death certificate. Then you arrange the funeral with a funeral parlour, and the body is kept in the morgue. You can have the funeral straight away, often its maybe a week after. Then the undertakers pick the body up from the morgue, put it in the casket etc. and then drive it to place where the funeral is to be held. Sometimes the service differs, but as I remember it the day before there was an open casket where you could go and see them and pay your last respects, and then there was a funeral for people who knew them.

    Then the undertakers take the casket or whatever to the cemetary, where there are a few final words and it's buried.

    Not a very pleasant experience, hope you're ok.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for that and also for your concern but I'm certainly ok - the family member in question survived the heart attack and we're grateful for that. It's just I've never had a death in the family where I would be involved and had no idea what I'd have to do.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Generally, the hospitals / funeral parlour try to make it as easy as possible. But, other things to organise seperately is a wake (i.e. a kind of party after the funeral, maybe it's just catholics that do this though, I'm not sure), informing people what has happened is not easy either. There's also the legal hash of if they had a will or not. In my experience though it all just goes straight to the next of kin.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    first proceedure, as insensitive as it sounds, is that the person has to die

    ive known of cases where someone has gone through the turmoil of organising loads of stuff, with someone who is terminally ill, but then pullled artound
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Person dies (say in the house)

    Doctor is called, person pronounced dead, doctor signs a form which the NOK has to take to the Registry Office (Births, Deaths, marriages) to get a death certificate

    The NOK contacts funeral parlour and the arrangements are made.

    Then it's either the open casket viewing, if specified there is a service held then the next day (usually) the funeral takes place.

    If there is a will then that all gets sorted out with lawyers etc but if not then things are just settled within the family.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Generally, the hospitals / funeral parlour try to make it as easy as possible.

    Yep.

    A lot of hospitals, and particularly hospices have things like bereavement cousellors to go through everything with the family and help them out.
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    Most deaths do not require a post mortem.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Skive wrote:
    Most deaths do not require a post mortem.


    You (as NOK) have to consent to an autopsy being carried out if one is required, whether it be a full examination or restricted to, say, the thorax. Only HM Coroner can order an autopsy without NOK consent - in medicolegal cases.

    Direct

    Open caskets, morgues, funeral parlours - is this Six Feet Under?
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