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What to do when a loved one passes away:
The practical considerations
When a beloved partner, family member, or friend passes away, a rollercoaster of emotions often follows. Feelings such as shock, numbness, sadness, anger, loneliness, disbelief, and many others are notoriously associated with loss, and can be tremendously distressing.
Whilst trying to navigate this difficult road, soaring emotions can be compounded further by the ‘practical’ responsibilities which arise after the death of a loved one. Many people don’t know where to start, and a heightened emotional state can overcomplicate the process.
To hopefully make the journey a little easier, here is some important information to help guide you when a loved one first passes away.
Deaths at a hospital or aged care home
Death often occurs at a hospital or aged care home and in these instances, the staff are very experienced at assisting loved ones with the process.
The attending doctor or nurse will take care of officially confirming the death and issue a Cause of Death Certificate.
Deaths at home, or at another location
This one is a little bit different. If your loved one has died at their home or at another location, you need to call 000 and ask for an ambulance.
Once the ambulance crew arrives, they will contact the police or your loved one’s GP. In some cases, a GP will be unable to issue the Cause of Death Certificate, and in this situation the police will attend.
It is a necessary procedure to notify the coroner and prepare a report to establish the cause of death.
Organ donation
You might like to check if your loved one is an organ donor. If he/she dies in a hospital, the staff can take care of checking this via the Australian Organ Donor Register.
What to do once a death is confirmed
There are a few steps to take once you reach this point, so it’s important to have the personal details of your recently departed loved one ready.
You will likely need the following information when liaising with any organisations or businesses:
- Full legal name
- Date and place of birth
- Home address
- Next of kin
Is there a will?
It is essential to find out if your loved one had a will, as this will generally (but not always) name an executor and contain other important details.
Often you will already know if a will exists but if not, a simple phone call to their lawyer or accountant will provide the answer.
If there is no will, the next of kin can apply for letters of administration. If you find more than one will, the most recent will revokes any previous will/s made by your loved one.
If you uncover a document that sets out your loved one’s wishes and you are unsure whether it is a valid will, it is recommended that you seek legal advice.
Has an executor been appointed?
The executor of a will is the individual who has been appointed to carry out the wishes of a person after they die. They settle any debts and organise and distribute any assets as set out in the will.
Finding out who has been named as the executor of a will can be very simple, as their name should appear in the will. This, however, assumes that you have seen the will, or know where it is, which is not always the case.
If your loved one has not left a will, the court generally appoints an executor on their behalf.
Removing an executor
The only way to remove an executor is for the grant of probate to be revoked and a new executor appointed.
A grant of probate is a Supreme Court document that recognises someone's authority to deal with the estate of a person who has passed away.
Removing an executor can be a difficult process. If the person appointed as executor feels they may be unable to fulfil their responsibilities, generally it is best practice for them to renounce their role as soon as possible.
Home care services
When your loved one passes away, any in-home services they may be receiving will stop. This is important to keep in mind, particularly if the deceased is your partner and you are relying on these services too.
You can contact Feros Care on 1300 763 583 to discuss this further, and we will be able to help ensure you have the appropriate support to live comfortably at home.
We have also compiled a comprehensive checklist of people, organisations and/or businesses you will need to notify in addition to home service providers.
More information to help you
There is a lot to think about, but we hope this information provides some clarity regarding what happens/what needs to happen when a loved one first passes away.
For guidance on other ‘practical’ considerations such as arranging a funeral, what happens after the funeral, how to ask others for help, reviewing possessions left behind, and the process of selling a deceased estate, please see our full Feros Care Bereavement Guide.
This guide also provides resources to support you with the ‘personal’ side of loss, namely the emotional journey and grieving process. From tips to help you accept loss and search for meaning, to a list of carefully curated websites and telephone numbers to further assist you, we try to cover all the common pain points.
Remember, there is no one-size-fits all handbook for dealing with the death of a loved one, and we hope these resources provide some relief during this difficult time.
Our expert team at Feros Care are available to contact via 1300 763 583.
Support is also available from Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.