Notify the Authorities

When a family member or loved one passes away, their location at the time of death will decide who you call. If they are in a medical facility such as a hospital or nursing home, the staff will notify the proper authorities. If it occurred at home or work, emergency medical personnel will need to be called to indicate the time and cause of death. If no one was near when the death occurred, you may need to contact the police before taking any further steps. Following this step, you may contact a funeral home near College Park, MD.

Call your Funeral Home

At this point, you may contact a funeral home and speak to a funeral director. They will help you come up with arrangements for transporting the deceased to the funeral home, and they can help you begin to think about services that you may need. Your loved one may have made pre-arrangements that will help guide you on how the funeral or memorial process should go. It’s the job of the funeral home to help you every step of the way, and discuss in detail your wishes for any arrangements and services. This is when you may consider whether you need embalming services or cremation services. You can see a list of the packages and services that the home offers, and they will help you decide what is right for your family and your budget as well. You may be asked to bring some memorabilia, personal belongings, and clothes for your loved one’s service. This will also help the funeral director get a better sense of what your loved one was like, and how they can best serve their memory during the proceedings.

File for a Death Certificate

Depending on the cause of death, you may have an attending physician or coroner write your family member’s death certificate. This will indicate the date, time, and cause of death. It’s an essential task to complete when it comes to accessing accounts, safe deposit boxes, closing accounts of the deceased, claiming benefits, transferring ownership of property, and more. If you need any help with this process, the funeral home can assist you with this as well.

These are the main tasks that are necessary after the death of a loved one. At Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A., we can assist you with all these difficult duties. We know it isn’t easy to focus on the logistics during a time of grieving and loss, and that’s why we want to offer our assistance to you and your loved ones. At our funeral home near College Park, MD, you will appreciate the grace and respect that we give to our clients, and you can know that your and your loved one’s wishes will be met. Our years of experience will be a benefit to you, making the process easier and allowing you to take the time you need to grieve and honor your loved one. You can depend on us at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A.