What to do

Understandably not many people know what to do when someone dies. What you do depends on is how and where a person dies.

Whatever the circumstances at the time of death, it is important that you contact us as soon as possible. This will allow us to assist you and your family and begin the funeral arrangements, including the appropriate paperwork to enable your loved one to be transfered into our care.

When Someone Dies at a Hospital or Nursing Home

At a Hospital the staff will arrange for a Doctor to issue a death certificate, you then need to notify the Funeral Home. At a nursing home they will notify the Funeral Director to arrange the transfer of the deceased person to their Funeral Home. Stan Crapp Funerals are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to undertake the most precious of duties. If the deceased is at a hospital then the transfer into our care will occur during normal business hours after a Cause of Death Certificate has been issued.

When Someone Dies at Home

If someone dies at home, and they have been under regular care of a doctor for the past three months, the first person you should contact is the person’s doctor, who will issue a Medical Cause of Death Certificate. You can then contact us to arrange the transfer of the deceased person to our funeral home. If the person has not seen a doctor in the past three months and the death is unexpected then the ambulance should be called.

When Someone Dies Suddenly

If the death is sudden or the result of an accident and the cause of death is not confirmed then the doctor will need to notify the Police. The Ambulance Service may do this if they have attended at the place of death. It is important that the body not be moved or disturbed until Police have finished their initial investigations. The Police will notify the government appointed undertaker to transfer the deceased to the State Mortuary. At this point the deceased person is under the care of the Coroner.

The coroner will then investigate and determine the cause of death. This may involve a post mortem. Once the deceased person has been transferred to the State Mortuary you can contact us to make funeral arrangements. We will liase with the Coronre to ascertain when the person can be released into our care and when a funeral can take place. You have the right to contact your funeral director of choice, and you are under no obligation to use the government appointed undertaker who transferred the deceased person to the State Mortuary at the time of death.

When Someone Dies Interstate

If a death occurs while travelling, or holidaying at a location away from home, you should contact us as soon as possible so that we can make the necessary arrangements to have your loved one returned home. Depending on where the death occured this may be undertaken via air or by road by a specialist mortuary transfer company.