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Difference between revisions of "Immediately After Someone Dies"
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Immediately After Someone Dies (view source)
Revision as of 06:20, 19 January 2017
, 06:20, 19 January 2017no edit summary
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If a “Notification of Expected Home Death” form has been completed, authorizing the funeral home to transport the body without pronouncement of death by a healthcare professional, you need to wait at least one hour after the breathing has stopped before calling the funeral home to remove the body | If a “Notification of Expected Home Death” form has been completed, authorizing the funeral home to transport the body without pronouncement of death by a healthcare professional, you need to wait at least one hour after the breathing has stopped before calling the funeral home to remove the body | ||
===If the death happened in hospital=== | |||
If the death happened in hospital, provide the hospital with the name of the funeral home that has been selected. The hospital may prefer to contact the funeral home, or ask that you call the funeral home. You may be asked to sign a form authorizing release of the body from the hospital. | |||
==Registering the death== | |||
When a person dies in British Columbia, the death must be registered with the BC Vital Statistics Agency. Registration creates a legal record of the death. It also results in the issuing of a death certificate, which survivors will need to apply for benefits and to settle the legal and business affairs of the deceased. | |||
The funeral home typically handles the death registration, which consists of these steps: | |||
# 1. '''A medical certificate of death is completed'''. A doctor, nurse practitioner or coroner completes and signs a medical certificate of death within 48 hours after the death, and forwards it to the funeral home. The certificate states that the person has died and the cause of death. The funeral home will typically make arrangements to have the certificate completed. | |||
# 2. '''The funeral home obtains information about the deceased from a relative or friend'''. The information includes the deceased’s date and place of birth, date and place of death, name of spouse, full names and birthplaces of parents, the name of any personal representative named in their will, and the method of “disposition” of the body (burial or cremation). | |||
# 3. '''The funeral home registers the death.''' When the funeral home has the medical certificate of death and the necessary information about the deceased, the funeral home completes a death registration form with the Vital Statistics Agency | |||
{{PLSTipsbox | |||
| text = The funeral home will ask you how many “original” death certificates you will require. There is a cost for each original certificate: to order one directly from BC Vital Statistics costs $27. For most estates, two original death certificates should be sufficient.}} | |||
After registering the death, the funeral home is provided with the requested number of original death certificates and a disposition permit. | |||
The death certificate is a certified extract of the information provided on the death registration. The person looking after the estate of the deceased will need to produce the death certificate whenever they are required to provide proof of death - for example, to cancel a driver’s licence or to settle insurance policies. Some institutions will require the “original” death certificate or a notarized copy, while others will accept a regular copy. You may wish to order two originals, then have additional “certified true copies” prepared by a notary public or a lawyer if needed. | |||
The disposition permit is a permit to dispose of human remains or cremated human remains. It is illegal in BC to bury or cremate a body unless you have a disposition permit. | |||
==Common questions== | |||
===When might a coroner be involved?=== | |||
If a loved one dies unexpectedly, whether at home or in hospital, a coroner may become involved. A coroner is an appointed official who investigates all unnatural, sudden or unexpected deaths in BC. | |||
Anyone may report a death to the coroner, including doctors, hospitals, care homes, police, or funeral homes. | |||
===What does a coroner do?=== | |||
The coroner will investigate to determine when, where, and how the death occurred. | |||
The coroner’s investigation can end in one of three ways: | |||
* A determination of natural death: The coroner may conclude that the death was due to natural causes. | |||
* A coroner’s report: The results of the investigation may be released in a coroner’s report. This is a public document setting out the coroner’s findings, including a cause of death and whenever possible, recommendations to prevent future deaths. | |||
* A coroner’s inquest: The coroner may hold an inquest, which is a formal court proceeding with a jury, held to publicly review the circumstances of a death. The jury hears evidence from witnesses. The coroner helps the jury maintain a fact-finding role, not a fault-finding role. A written verdict is prepared, and includes recommendations to prevent future deaths. | |||
== Death at home== | == Death at home== | ||