When Death Occurs
The overwhelming feelings of despair, disbelief, shock, and numbness caused by the passing of a loved one cannot be conveyed by mere words. Even when the death is expected, the pain that loss brings can still be devastating. In truth, no one is completely prepared for the death of someone close to their heart.
During this difficult time, there are decisions to be made immediately, arrangements to be coordinated, and a lot of things to be considered for your loved one’s arrangements. We understand how this may feel overwhelming, especially with the grief you’re feeling over the loss. Please know that we are here to help and support you.
On this page, we’ve put together helpful information to guide you through this process.
STEP ONE: NOTIFY PROPER AUTHORITIES
If your loved one passes away while in the care of a facility — such as a nursing home or a hospital — the staff from the facility will contact you and notify appropriate authorities themselves. You most likely will have already notified them as to which funeral home to call. If not, you will need to make them aware of who to call.
If the death occurred at home, if under hospice care, you would call the hospice company first. They would usually come to your home and assist you further. If not under hospice, and has been seen by a doctor in the last 72 hours, you may call the funeral home and we can assist you further. If you loved one has not been seen by a doctor recently the coroner's office will need to be notified. You may call County Dispatch at (618) 252-8661 for Saline County or you may call us and we can contact the coroner's office for you.
In the event that no one was present at the time of death, you will need to contact the police (618) 252-8661 before moving the deceased to another location.
You may call us in any situation to assist you with contacting the appropriate agency.
STEP TWO: NOTIFY THE FUNERAL HOME
Our caring funeral directors can assist you with your funeral arrangements. We will collect information from you in order to facilitate the transfer of your loved one’s remains to our facility. You will also be asked whether or not you would like for him/her to be embalmed. Please feel free to ask any questions at this time
During this call, you’ll also be informed about the things that you need to bring with you like the clothes your deceased loved one will wear for the burial, social security number, military discharge papers, a picture for the obituary and possibly pictures for a video tribute. Feel free to call us whenever you feel the need to. Remember that we are here to listen to you, help you, and guide you during this difficult and trying time.
STEP THREE: MEET WITH THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR/STAFF
On your first meeting with us, we will discuss the arrangements for your loved one’s burial or cremation. We are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and are required to provide you with a copy of our General Price List. We are also required by law to provide you with an itemized copy of the Statement of Goods and Services when arrangements are concluded. You will be shown a list of our packages/services so you can decide what suits your family’s preferences and budget. You will be asked whether you’d prefer burial or cremation arrangements and optionally you would select a casket, schedule a time and date for the services, decide on the location of the burial, draft an obituary notice, and select pallbearers to name a few. We would also use this opportunity to inquire about your loved one for us to have a better understanding of the person the services will honor. It will be extremely helpful if you can bring some memorabilia — photos, videos, treasured items, letters — that would give us a clearer picture on how you envision paying tribute to your loved one. We will handle all the filing of necessary paperwork and permits.
STEP FOUR: MAKE CEMETERY ARRANGEMENTS
Sometimes it is necessary to meet with the cemetery personnel to arrange for the opening and closing of the grave or to purchase burial spaces. We can/will accompany you to make certain that your wishes are communicated and carried out with cemetery personnel. This is most common when there is not a marker already installed at the cemetery.
STEP FIVE: ORDER FLOWERS (when having services)
Flowers are something that we prefer that families would order themselves, simply because all florists have their own unique style and options available. We cannot know or adequately relay to you what flowers are available from each provider, nor can I know what your tastes and preferences are in regard to style. We certain can and will order flowers for families, but the florist is best suited to relay their talents and abilities to you themselves. We also do not make recommendations, we support all of our local florists. There are no limits on what you can and cannot have, remember, we are here to serve you.
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