When Death Occurs

Whether a death is sudden or expected, the loss of a loved one is indescribable. When you are in a heightened emotional state, even the most basic decisions can seem staggering. This section seeks to guide you through the immediate hours following a passing.

When death occurs at home or a place of business:

If the person was not under hospice care, the police will have to be notified immediately.  The police will be dispatched to the home and will place the call to the coroner or medical examiner.  From there, the coroner or medical examiner will remove the body and determine whether further action is necessary.  The coroner or medical examiner must release the body before the Society can do anything.   If the person was under hospice care, contact the hospice representative, and they will notify family members what the proper procedures are to follow.  Hospice staff or the immediate family should contact CS of MI directly.

When a death occurs at a hospital/nursing home/hospice facility:

The staff of a care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, will notify you and the necessary authorities immediately after a death has occurred.  The staff of the care facility or the immediate family should contact CS of MI directly.  We are available 24 hours a day. If you are not present, a cremation counselor will contact you by telephone to discuss arrangements.

Making Arrangements:

First, the cremation counselor will gather information required for the death certificate.  This includes:

• Full Name and Address
• Marital Status
• Race/Ethnicity
• Date and City of Birth
• Highest Level of Education
• Father’s Name, Mother’s Name (including maiden name)
• Name of Spouse (if married or widowed)
• Occupation 
• Social Security Number 

If no pre-planning has been done, necessary arrangements need to be made for the memorial service.  These include:

• Scheduling the location, date and time of the memorial service
• Selecting burial or niche
• Choosing cremation  Products
• Arranging a cemetery plot
• Preparing an obituary notice
• Scheduling transportation arrangements

A cremation counselor  will guide you through all of these steps, using your wants, needs and desires as a foundation to create a memorial service for your loved one. From here the memorial services can be personalized.  Did your loved one have a favorite sports team?  What was their favorite type of music?  What activity was your loved one known best for?  Sharing these memories with the grieving process and will allow you to pay tribute to the life of your loved one.

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