Dealing with the loss of a loved one is never easy. It can be made more difficult when you’re responsible for undertaking all the necessary tasks that must be done after someone passes away. Having an idea of what to do beforehand will help, and keeping in touch with your funeral home near College Park, MD, will also be a benefit to you.

The first thing that must be done when a loved one passes away is to contact either emergency medical personnel or their primary care provider. They must come and provide a declaration of death, which is necessary to obtain a death certificate. If they passed away in the hospital or in a care facility, you won’t need to make these calls. If they passed at home while no one else was there, you must contact the authorities before doing anything else, so that they can investigate the scene.

The next thing you’ll need to do is call family and friends to begin informing people of the death. This can be a very painful task, and not everyone is up to it right away. If you find yourself unable to make these calls yourself, ask a trusted family member or friend to help you. After informing members of the family, you may choose to make a social media post announcing your loved one’s passing. This will let a larger group of the community know, and you won’t be burdened with trying to contact every single person in their life.

You’ll need to contact their preferred funeral home or cremation service provider to figure out the next steps. If they had made pre-arrangements already, this will make your job easier. All you’ll need to do is go along with what they had planned. If not, you’ll need to start making decisions when it comes to what kind of services you want for your loved one, the means of disposition, and more. Your funeral home will be able to help guide you through this process. They will make sure that your loved one’s body is transported to the proper place.

One last thing you’ll need to think about is your loved one’s home and pets. Make sure there is someone who is able to secure their home and make sure everything is locked. If they had pets, a new home will need to be found for them. If there’s any food in the fridge that needs to be thrown away, be sure to have someone clean it out. Have their mail forwarded to your address so that it doesn’t build up in their mailbox. These are all the little things that can sometimes be overlooked, but they are important.

Having an idea of what tasks need to be done in the hours and days after a death can help you deal with it a little more easily. Your funeral home near College Park, MD, will be there to help you through the entire ordeal so that you can take as much time as necessary to grieve and spend time with your family while processing your loss. That way, you can have peace of mind that things will go smoothly, and you’ll know that your loved one will be honored in the best way possible.