Next Steps: After Care and Funeral Home Services in Hamden, CT
Our staff has experience planning a variety of funeral services and can assist you when you're thinking about planning a funeral no matter your personal preference, budget, culture, or religion. To help you get started, below is some helpful information. Please do not hesitate to contact us at (203) 624-4477 with any questions.
Losing a family member in death can be an emotionally difficult experience. Feelings of grief and sorrow can be almost too heavy to bear. While dealing with these feelings, there is also a very real need to plan and carry out a funeral service. Thankfully, there are professional funeral homes in Hamden, CT that are well qualified to help families navigate through such difficult moments. Their job is to ease the burden of responsibility for planning the funeral event. The service will honor the memory of the fallen and comfort those who grieve.
But before any of that happens, certain decisions must be made. Some need to occur immediately, and others must happen shortly. Here’s a quick and general idea of what should be done in the moments and hours after a loved one passes on:
Call the Authorities
Where the person dies will impact who you should call:
- If the person died in a care facility, such as a hospital, hospice, assisted living center, etc. the attending staff will contact the authorities. If you are not present when the death occurred, they will notify the emergency contact for the family.
- If a death happens at work or home, you should call the doctor and emergency services. The authorities will respond with the appropriate support. Police and paramedics may come to the house to help.
- If the death happened alone, call the police immediately. They will send an officer to review the circumstances of the death on behalf of the medical examiner.
In all cases where you are present with the person who has died, do not move the body until the authorities arrive and provide instructions. This does not account for any efforts to resuscitate life. In those situations where death is not confirmed, do all you can to save the life of the individual and seek immediate emergency help.
Call a Funeral Home in Hamden, CT
A caring funeral director can be an incredible support. After the death of a loved one, make a call to the funeral home. They will listen and provide information to guide you through what comes next. Be sure to answer their questions as needed. They will coordinate the transport of your fallen loved one to their funeral home facility for initial care needs.
The funeral director will schedule a time to meet together for a funeral arrangement conference. They may instruct you to bring burial clothing or other items. You should also bring any pre-need plans that the deceased may have put into place.
Go to the Funeral Home
At the appointed time, meet with the funeral director to make plans for the type of service you and your family want. If arrangements have already been made, this meeting will require less time. There will be fewer decisions to make as well. If the deceased left any pre-needs planning instructions, this is a good time to discuss those details.
The arrangement conference will help the funeral director to get to know you and your family. They will also learn more about the deceased. The discussion will center around the type of funeral care you wish to have. From there, detailed questions will help you to make decisions about the funeral service, speakers, readings, music, etc. You’ll also discuss casket choice, funeral venue, date and time, burial plots, obituary notifications, and transportation. Some details will be discussed regarding any cultural or religious funeral traditions you may wish to observe.
Obtain Death Certificate
The death certificate is a legal document confirming that the person has died. This document is important in managing the person’s affairs in their absence. A trusted funeral home in Hamden, CT will aid you in obtaining the certificate. You’ll likely want several certified copies to help you make closing arrangements. Death certificates are required to close bank accounts, make benefit claims, sell property, and other such actions.
Inform Family and Community
As soon as possible, you should contact family and friends to inform them that their loved one has passed on. If they hear the news second hand, it could be hurtful to those with close relationships. Call or visit them in person. More distant friendships can be notified through social media, email, or a public obituary notice. Be sure to consider who may need to be informed, including workplace friends, hobby and sports groups, church connections, civic clubs, etc.
Here to Serve
Howard K. Hill Funeral Services considers it a privilege to help our community in their time of need. If you or someone you know has lost a family member, call on us for immediate help. We provide at needs support when called on. Our funeral home in Hamden, CT is at 1287 Chapel St New Haven, CT 06511. You can reach us by phone twenty-four hours a day at (203) 624-4477.