Do You Know What to Do After a Loved One Dies?

Death isn’t one of those subjects that most people fancy talking about. The reality, however, is that death is a part of the circle of life. But do you know what to do if you discover that a loved one has passed away? You can imagine that the immediate aftermath of such a development can be a lot for anyone to handle. Here are some of the things you need to do soon after a death in the family — and you can be sure that one of them is to contact a Charleston, WV funeral home.

Call the Authorities

It might be tempting to call family before making any other call, but you really should call the authorities first. If you’re at a medical facility where your loved one is being treated and you find that they have died, you alert a doctor, nurse, or some other professional at the facility. If the passing occurs anywhere else, be sure to dial 911 to inform the police of the development. It’s important to know that someone needs to be pronounced deceased by an authorized medical professional before the body can be administered to by a funeral home or crematorium.

Reach Out to Family

After you called the police or notify a medical professional, you should call family members. It will make sense to prioritize those calls based on their closeness to the deceased. You can bet that such calls will be among the most unpleasant that you’ll ever have to make since no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. Even so, you obviously need to let family members know what has happened. You can also call close family friends or people who were close to the deceased to inform them of the unfortunate development.

Look for Will and Other Important Documents

It’s also a good idea to look for your deceased relative’s will and other important documentation. Perhaps you can find what you need in a filing cabinet, in a drawer, or even in a safety deposit box. You’ll have an easier time if they had let someone know where to find the documents before their passing. It doesn’t hurt to ask family members if they had ever been told where to find things.

Contact Funeral Home

After you’ve done all of the above, you need to find a funeral home to handle final services. It’s best to do some research beforehand so that you find the right service provider to take on such an important responsibility. You’ll find that everything goes much more smoothly if you hire a reputable funeral home that is dedicated to providing the best in customer service.

Are you looking for a Charleston, WV funeral home that you can trust to help plan final services? At Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home & Crematorium, we pride ourselves on our commitment to helping families and individuals to make proper funeral or cremation plans. You can get in touch by calling (304) 342-8135 or by visiting 1118 Virginia St E Charleston, WV 25301. We’ll help you during one of life’s most trying events. Get in touch when you need us.