When Someone Dies
Losing someone close to you can be incredibly difficult, and if you’re responsible for handling funeral arrangements and personal affairs, the experience is often overwhelming.
What you do when someone dies depends on the where the death occurs and sometimes the circumstances of the death. If you’re in doubt, contact Care Funerals to seek advice.
You shouldn’t worry about what time you call, because we are available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
When someone dies at a hospital or nursing home
Many people die in a hospital or nursing home and if this is this case the staff will handle most of the formalities. Also any next of kin will be advised what steps need to be taken.
Most public and some private hospitals will have their own mortuary and the deceased can be kept there until the body is transferred by a funeral director if you choose to appoint one.
When someone dies at home
If someone you know dies at home it’s important to try to stay calm.
If the person’s death was expected it’s likely that their doctor may have been in touch with you or other close friends or family to discuss what will happen, and you can call the doctor’s surgery to ask them visit as soon as possible. If the deceased doesn’t have a regular GP the police should be called instead.
A doctor is needed to examine the body to attempt to ascertain the cause of death and write a medical certificate. A funeral cannot be arranged until this certificate has been completed.
If the death is unexpected or you aren’t sure if the person is dead call 000 immediately and ask for an ambulance and explain as best you can what the problem is and describe the circumstances. Once the ambulance crew arrives they will either contact the person’s GP or the police.
It’s important to know that if the death was unexpected, not clear, is suspicious or the person did not have a regular GP, the police must be called. In some cases the coroner may also be involved to conduct a post mortem to determine the cause of death.
When someone passes away unexpectedly or traumatically
The coroner’s office is responsible for investigating unexplained deaths. Usually, a police officer or medical professional will inform the coroner of what is known as a ‘reportable death’, a death that may require investigation.
After the death is reported to the coroner, they will decide whether or not to investigate. If you feel that the death is reportable but you are not certain that it has been reported, you can do so yourself by contacting your local coroner’s office.
If the coroner is involved in the case of an unexplained death, coronial staff will transfer the deceased from the place of death to the corner’s premises. An autopsy may be required to find out why the person died.
When someone passes away overseas
When someone passes away overseas and you wish to bring the body back to Australia, you need to contact a local funeral directory to assist you.
It is possible to do some of the transportation organising yourself, but it requires extensive planning. You will need to obtain an overseas death certificate and complete importation papers. For health reasons, the body will need to be embalmed overseas and returned to Australia in an outer coffin or crate suitably prepared for transportation. You may also need to check that the container meets any specific airline requirements. Non-embalmed bodies will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.
Given the time constraints involved, it is more common for arrangements to be carried out by funeral directors liaising between Australia and the overseas country involved.