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Immediately After Someone Dies (view source)
Revision as of 05:54, 19 January 2017
, 05:54, 19 January 2017no edit summary
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{{PLSTipsbox | text = If a loved one dies at home and first responders or paramedics are called, they should be shown any “No CPR Form” signed by the deceased. As explained in the section “Preparing for the Death of a Loved One”, this form records a person’s decision to not have CPR or other emergency medical procedures provided if they stop breathing or their heart stops beating.}} | {{PLSTipsbox | text = If a loved one dies at home and first responders or paramedics are called, they should be shown any “No CPR Form” signed by the deceased. As explained in the section “Preparing for the Death of a Loved One”, this form records a person’s decision to not have CPR or other emergency medical procedures provided if they stop breathing or their heart stops beating.}} | ||
==Say your goodbyes== | |||
Immediately after the death, you may choose to spend some time with your deceased loved one and participate in rituals that are in keeping with your spiritual beliefs. | |||
If your loved one died in hospital, you can spend some time in the room with them. In general, the hospital will wait for family members to say their goodbyes. | |||
The time spent with the body immediately after death can help people deal with the grief of a loved one’s passing. | |||
==Pronouncement of death== | |||
After someone has died, their death is “pronounced”. Pronouncing death means giving an opinion that life has ceased based on a physical assessment of the person. Under BC law, it is not required that a healthcare professional do this; a family member can do so by watching the person’s breathing and noting when breathing has stopped. | |||
Even though not required under BC law, pronouncement of death by a healthcare professional is widely recognized as sound clinical and ethical practice for care providers. It can also provide assurance and support to family, and verify that this was an expected natural death. | |||
As well, pronouncement of death by a healthcare professional is required before a funeral home will transport the body - unless the deceased’s doctor signed the form “Notification of Expected Home Death”. | |||
If a healthcare professional is to pronounce the death, contact the family doctor, nurse practitioner or community nurse. You can take the time you need. If it is late at night, you may wait until morning before calling. | |||
==Organ and tissue donation== | |||
Your loved one may have made a decision | |||
to donate organs and tissue. They may have | |||
discussed those wishes with you. Or they may | |||
have left instructions in a will. | |||
BC Transplant oversees all aspects of organ | |||
donation and transplantation in BC. They | |||
administer the BC Organ Donor Registry. | |||
If your loved one died in hospital, the staff will | |||
look up whether they were registered as a donor | |||
in the registry. If they were, the hospital staff will | |||
show you the deceased’s donation decision. | |||
If your loved one was not registered, the hospital | |||
staff may ask the family if they wish to have the | |||
deceased’s organs and tissue donated. While | |||
not legally bound to do so, the family may wish | |||
to make this decision based on what their loved | |||
one would have wished. | |||
If a donation takes place, the family has an | |||
opportunity to say their farewells before the | |||
organs are removed. A specialist trained in | |||
organ recovery will carefully remove organs and | |||
tissue. The body is then prepared for removal to | |||
the funeral home of choice. | |||
Donation of organs and tissue should not cause | |||
a delay in the funeral arrangements and you | |||