What to do first when someone dies
Death at hospital
If the death was not unexpected, the rest home is likely to call their on-call doctor/medical professional to confirm death and document the cause of death. If the death was unexpected, suspicious or the cause of death cannot be determined, the rest home may call the Police who act as the Coroner’s agent.
As the grieving family, your first call should be to a FDANZ Funeral Director who can talk you through the next stages.
Death at home or public space
If the death was expected, a doctor/medical professional still has to confirm death and document the cause of death. This is most often facilitated by your funeral director who will liaise with the family’s doctor and arrange transport for the body to the doctor’s premise for the examination. Not many doctors visit the home for this purpose anymore. If the death was unexpected, or you have any concerns, please call the Police.
Death while overseas
If a New Zealand resident dies overseas, your Funeral Director can help you understand the options in regards arranging for the person’s body or ashes to be repatriated (brought back to New Zealand). Click here to read more about repatriation requirements by country.
First point of contact
In the initial interaction is just a phone call to us. Our Funeral directors are likely to want the following information from you:
Why Funerals matter
The funeral director will meet you at your home or in their offices at a convenient time to discuss arrangements - this is usually within 24 hours of first contact. The funeral director will offer a range of choices to suit your family’s culture, customs and religious requirements.
Key decisions to discuss are:
Before that first meeting there are some practical matters you may like to start attending to if you feel you can manage:
Who has authority?
One of the first questions a funeral director will try and determine is who has authority to make the after-care and funeral decisions for the person who has died. If there is a will, the executor usually has authority. If there is no will, or the will has yet to be found, the next of kin has legal authority. The next of kin may choose to nominate a family member to have authority on their behalf.
The courts have determined the following hierarchy in determining who is next of kin:
Information to gather
One of the important roles a FDANZ Funeral Director does on your behalf is to register the death. Below is the type of information needed - much of this information can be found on birth and marriage certificates. You can download the form here.
Resources
The Department of Internal Affairs has developed a digital resource to support family and whanau experiencing a death, with information on what to do and where to get financial and emotional support when someone dies.