Often Overlooked Tasks that Must Be Done After a Death

It can be difficult trying to navigate your emotions and life after a loved one passes away. There will be many things that you must do in the hours and days after their passing, and trying to keep it all straight is never easy. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD, can help you with many of the logistics that will be necessary for the following days. However, there are some other items and tasks that should not be forgotten in the aftermath of a person’s passing, especially if that person lived alone.

One of the most important things to think about is your loved one’s pets. If they had any animals living in their home, they will need to be cared for as soon as possible. If your loved one lived alone, new permanent homes will need to be found for these animals. In the meantime, make sure that someone is available to provide food and water, let them out if necessary, and provide any other care. The animals may be suffering too at the loss of their owner and might need extra comfort and love.

Something else to address is their mail. Even after they’re gone, they will continue to receive important mail like statements and bills. These will eventually stop, but for a while, they will need to be collected and paid as usual. You don’t want to allow mail to build up in their mailbox, either. This can be a signal that there is no one living at or watching the house, which makes it a more likely candidate for theft or breaking and entering. You can either collect their mail at regular intervals, or you can have all their mail forwarded to your address instead, whichever is more convenient for you.

Sometime in the days following your loved one’s passing, their home will need to be cleaned of any perishable items. Their refrigerator should be cleaned out so that nothing is sitting in there rotting or going bad. Their trash should be removed from their home so that it doesn’t deteriorate and begin to smell. Any other items that could go bad or attract unwanted pests should be removed relatively soon after their passing. In addition to this, if they had any houseplants that they cared for, you may want to consider removing them from your home so that they can be taken care of.

These are just a few of the things that might be overlooked or forgotten in the midst of dealing with a person’s passing. If you don’t have the time or emotional energy to handle these things, consider asking another trusted family member or friend to help you out. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD, can also be of some assistance, especially when it comes to obtaining important documents that you will need to tie up some of these loose ends. It may be difficult facing your loved one’s home and belongings, but it will become necessary in the days following their death, and you may even find a sense of closure in the process.