What to do if Someone Dies at Home

What should you do if someone dies at home? Susan Graham discusses in this video.

[@BillieChristine-d5c]

My Dad had received only two days of hospice care at his home. I called the hospice nurse when he died. When she got there, she told me to call the funeral home I wanted him to go to. No police. No coroner. Very simple. Not scary. Not dramatic. Every situation may be different. Blessings to all.

[@salauerman7082]

Likewise, my husband was on hospice, and his demise was not questioned.

[@GoodnightJLH]

State laws vary in whether a nurse can pronounce death and under what circumstances.

[@raymathews7035]

Exactly the way my dad went,no drama, called hospice team at Kaiser, they came out and declared him dead after I did.😢 Dad was my best friend.

[@rome79735]

My grandfather was being cared for by hospice until he died, he died in the morning, we called the hospice nurse, she asserted his death and noted, the funeral was contacted, they came and picked him up. Rest in peace grandpa I love you so much and I miss you. 😪

[@kirkbrooks9447]

My father died at home and my brother simply called the cops and said "How do we proceed?" They sent paramedics/ambulance/cops who pronounced him and sent him to the mortuary. He had a long history of heart disease and he had cancer as well. He was lucky that his heart failed before the cancer turned into a prolonged train wreck.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

thats likely what most people do.

[@BlackHole891VR]

I'm sorry

[@wtconroe879]

Cops can't pronounce people though. Even an EMT or paramedic has to call a doctor.

[@David-lo1fo]

Sounds like even with the knowledge of his condition, you We're UNPREPARED for his death. Sorry to hear that. Death is not a easy thing to welcome or deal with When it's a good person.

[@susanstamboulian646]

That is the saddest thing I have ever heard in my life. My God bless you, your family, and father. I pray for your family and that your father is in Heaven.

[@Fedup10710]

My beautiful wife died at home from a ravaging cancer in my hospice care after 10 days on 11/22/20. At the time, I was home alone at 6:30 AM on a Saturday. I called our local funeral director to inform them. I then called Family Hospice, who sent a coroner's assistant /RN to confirm her death and to prepare the body for transport. Then I called family. Body was taken to funeral home where arrangements were made for her cremation, per her wishes, and the purchase of a vessel for her remains. This was all done within 6-8 hours total. Her remains were returned to me 2 days after on Monday. Funeral director took care of acquiring death certificates. No visitation at funeral home due to C-19 restrictions at that time. Had a memorial service at our church followed by a wake with 40 relatives and friends the following Saturday. I miss her so.

[@MARIANSCATLIFFE]

I know you do I miss my husband every day too with time intensity of grief lessens but it doesn't go away God bless you

[@DanielWSonntag]

I'm caring for my elderly father and was told this, so thank you for confirming it. It was made clear that you do not call the police in this situation.

[@stephaniepiazzese2602]

Thank you maam, very simple, neccessary video. Some people actually DO NOT KNOW, what comes next. This is a priceless piece of information.

[@jomenees]

The last time I wondered about this very thing was this morning, and like magic, here you pop up with the simple answer. Can't thank you enough!

[@marciastewart1527]

My husband died at home in hospice. He was well taken care of and died in peace in his home. All I had to do was call where he was to be cremated & they took it from there. Very little stress.

[@Ms.Tee65]

Thank you for that. Our Mom is 89 living with my two Sisters but we all take turns caring for her (5 daughters, including the grandkids) . Not sure when any of Us will pass on but if it’s her first I needed this info as we would definitely have called the police.

[@DavidReed-dx4bk]

My dad died at home father's day 2020 he was my best friend

[@MARIANSCATLIFFE]

So very sorry cuz you'll miss him always

[@marygrotaers6636]

May he rest in peace.

[@eagle-eye1776]

Thank you for the information. Very clear and concise.

[@mulekickhandmadeguitars8465]

Sorry dear, I'm calling the police first. EMT's will show up. They'll notify the County ME. Not me.

[@TallyDrake]

Right. Who am I to declare the body is dead? I don't want the authorities to be able to say I did nothing to help save said body.

[@angieholt736]

It will be a lot quicker. We waited 3 1/2 hours. Called hispice. Took her an hour. She called funeral home when she arrived. Then we waited 2 1/2 hours more.

[@David-lo1fo]

Waiting is a problem, concerns a loved ones passing and removal? Why, they aren't going anywhere nor hurt you. Buddhist don't touch the deceased for 24 hours. They Allow the soul to exit the body first. 😊 ​@angieholt736

[@MARIANSCATLIFFE]

Put your loved ones on hospice care then police don't get involved

[@MARIANSCATLIFFE]

​@@angieholt736yeah but police can accuse you of causing death I'll call hospice anytime

[@jeanferchaw]

Thank you for the info t sister n i took care of my mother we had hospice come to the house they were great they took care of everything that was over 11 yrs ago now i live with my sister and i am glade to know what to do we discussed it either she will do for me or i for herThank you 🌺🏝️🌅

[@Mikell-h2c]

My parents both died at home they prepaid there funerals , we called the undertaker, the doctor signed the death certificate no on else involved 😊

[@wtconroe879]

Lost my POS father a year & a half ago, I just called the coroner & they sent someone out to pick him up. Whole process took less than 2 hours.

[@pedegars]

And request an autopsy (yes, you will probably have to pay for it & yes, it’s money well-spent). Particularly important if the deceased dies around other family members responsible for their care.

[@SellyNue]

I'm curious why you say that its particularly important if the deceased dies around other family members who are their caregivers?

[@pedegars]

@@SellyNue Because proving the cause of death assists in absolving family members or caregivers from any responsibility for the death, be it from neglect or purposeful actions.

[@salauerman7082]

@@pedegarsI’ll agree, even with my dad on hospice. I have a sister who was having her daughters write to protective services about my alleged abuse of our dad (when she deemed him fit to live alone and argued with his PCP), and have no doubt that she will “witness” whatever she can concoct about his demise. My gut says that an autopsy is another measure of safety for me. She’ll do all she can to ruin me, proven by her history.

[@MARIANSCATLIFFE]

Fed up i know exactly how you feel cuz 2 yrs ago my husband died from covid i was married for 38 yrs i miss him every day also tge intensity of grief gets less but hollow ness of losing them never goes away

[@gwenking7700]

1. Check vitals 2. Call 911 3. Wait They get the ball rolling

[@CynthiaTarantino-f7e]

Clearly all the trolls have not had to deal with this. I knew my husband died in my arms but 911 was already on the phone and the police/EMT/ paramedics came. The police officers were wonderful and called the ME and the funeral home and stayed with me until the body was released and the funeral home could remove. Took about 3 hours in total.

[@franceslawhon3989]

Bn

[@bojens865]

How do you find the coroner in such a stressful moment? 911 will know what to do.

[@pedegars]

First of all, by dialing 911 you are using emergency resources for a non-emergency. How do you find any service in life? You look it up. But today that isn’t even necessary as there is this great new-ish number in the US, “311”, that provides information on local government services.

[@bojens865]

@@pedegars The first thing they say is "Emergency or non-emergency?", and switch you according to your response. They are well aware of people needing help while stressed, and not knowing what to do. I have never heard of 311. What is it? When was it announced?

[@adelerodriguez2432]

​@@pedegarssome jurisdictions have a non-emergency number to call.

[@BK-qp8zp]

My adult son died at home in 2020. I called 911 and let the professionals handle it. However, I was surprised to learn that a death at home was considered a homicide until proven otherwise. Fortunately, my son's doctor gave them cause of death over the phone; that's how sick he had been. They did do a small investigation and removed controlled medications and some other medical stuff. It went quite smoothly, as I just stayed out of the way and let everyone do their jobs in peace.

[@Sandy-cw9sx]

I would call 911 anyway. Besides, how do you know what the coroner's phone number is?

[@timdowney6721]

Senior Edge Legal has evidently never heard of hospice. In the states I worked in, the procedure for hospice patients who die at home is to call the hospice triage number (if there isn’t a hospice nurse at the home). Hospice agencies almost always have agreements with local coroners to allow a RN to assess for signs of death and record the time. When the family is ready, the nurse will call the family’s chosen funeral home to remove the remains. If there is reason to suspect any but expected cause of death, such as a fall with significant injury, the RN will notify the coroner, describe the circumstances, and get directions on how to proceed. A deputy may come to the home and remove the body, depending on circumstances.

[@Fat12219]

My ❤ girl friend pass away December 3rd 2020

[@baxtercol]

The lawyer was speaking about situations where hospice is not involved, where the death simply occurs without warning. That said, when my grandmother died in 1983, we just didn't enter the room although my father suspected she might have gone home and called 911. We didn't have any difficulties, perhaps because of her age and because she had prior documents indicating her funeral home Etc

[@mwalsh5757]

In CA you need a pronouncement. Best to call your local non-emergency number for Fire and Paramedic services (or 911 if no other option) to get things going.

[@Soo_Blessed]

Thank you

[@Fat12219]

My wife 😢❤ passed away in her sleep , right next to me 😢 ❤ RIP 🙏

[@suzanne6841]

She was lucky because she didn’t die alone so many people do. So sorry for your loss.

[@TimSmith-db1iu]

ugh my morning just took a weird turn...

[@arkyboy14]

Why does a person have to or need to go to a mortuary? Just put me in my coffin and wait until the cemetery has a whole dug which usually doesn't take long at all excluding unforeseen circumstances.

[@pedegars]

That’s illegal in most locations, for what should be obvious reasons.

[@Tom-ps2cq]

So the deceased can be legally declared dead; Govt can seek any monies due them from deceased’s estate, funeral home can rape family members emotionally and financially (provided their loved one didn’t prepare).

[@michaelhogan6074]

this lady got it all wrong, you can bet that no one will pick up that phone at the coroner's office, you should call the police non emergency number

[@terrydillon9323]

Thank you.

[@myradawnn]

If the person is not on hospice, call the police.

[@leighhallford894]

How do you know it’s not medical emergency? I would try calling 911 1st then cpr. Unless the person is under the care of hospice. There are many scenarios involved & the last thing I would do is call the coroner. I found my mother dead in her bedroom, even though her final days were nearing, I still didn’t call the coroner. However, when I found her, rigormortis had set in. Still don’t know how long she laid on the floor since her death. I remember I had a hard time doing cpr because she had rigor, & bluish color.

[@pedegars]

You don’t perform CPR on a dead person. Especially someone with a blue tinge and rigor mortis. A simple check for a pulse will suffice.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

if theyre blue, dont bother; just call the police they will look after everything.

[@noel-tk7gl]

There was a old lady who died because she died in her sleep in my room may her rest in peace 🙏

[@roberthunter6927]

My first instinct would be to call a doctor. A lay person does not have the expertise to "call" a death, even if it seems obvious. For example, a deep coma can resemble death-at least for a few hours. Secondly if the person is NOT yet dead, some painkillers may be necessary. Death is a process, and is rarely instantaneous, with obvious exceptions. Perhaps a paramedic or registered nurse could call the death, depending on the law in your jurisdiction. And it is in YOUR interest also. Occasionally people can deny the reality of death. So getting someone to confirm the death [probably a professional] is probably a good idea. And since death is a biological process, a doctor should come to mind first, IMHO. In any case, a doctor's diagnosis is helpful legally as well. It probably does not happen often, but weird twists can occur. Suppose a medical assessment gives the person six months to live, and they die within a week, and you inherit a fortune, and other family members are not happy with the will? This is just a hypothetical, it didn't happen to me. Once you obligation to the death of your loved one, with all the care that entails, you don't want to make things more untidy than they have to be. A coroner is a legal professional. They make findings on death based on evidence and professional testimony, such as medical professionals. It makes no sense to call a lawyer first thing, even if they are a coroner. They probably have more experience of death than a lay person, but most of it is forensics, not diagnostics.

[@philipbuckley759]

in the day one just called the funeral home...they took care, of these issues...

[@lindavezina6224]

I would notify someone but if my son is dying and he died.i would not let anyone touch him for at least 8hrs.till im sure all brain cells are dead.

[@rubendaniel249]

Hello Linda, how are you doing

[@robertwilliams060]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@yvonnephillips3888]

When my Father died we called for an ambulance and were told they could not transport. The police arrived and called the coroner whose office didn't open for another 3 hours (this was at 4:am). The police did tell us a family doctor could pronounce him as not having foul play which he did. Check your state laws as they all differm

[@normanwells2755]

Irresponsible advice. Judging by the title of the channel, this woman would appear to be dispensing legal advice on the internet. She can't speak for all jurisdictions because laws are different. Where I live, since the average citizen is not considered qualified to determine death with certainty, the person discovering a non-responsive person would check for pulse and breathing and call 911. And the recommendation, but not legally required, is to administer cpr UNLESS the patient was obvioulsy dead, ie decomposing or decapitated.

[@alexachenbach821]

My dad pass away at home.

[@lakt2136]

Check to see if the person is responsive - If not call 911 explain the person isn't being responsive - From there Paramedics & Police will be on its way. If the person no longer has pulse - then its pronounced deceased. From there county cororner will come by to pick up remains. Thats how I forsee it. What makes sad & hard if there was no pre-arranged things with funeral home & financial sources set in place.

[@larry1824]

Pray you have a big garden

[@thetruthk5138]

Put the kettle on

[@dennisgaugh7548]

call the coroner OK..whats the number?

[@glennjohnso310]

We don’t have a coroner. The county ambulance service comes out and pronounces them. If it’s suspicious they take the body to Nashville.

[@EB-wl9st]

Google it

[@nighthawk_predator1877]

That's not how it works in my state.

[@aquarius3629]

0:50 "If someone SHOULD die at home..." sounds a bit sussy

[@donjohn2695]

Just keep the body and dress it up and pretend no one notices

[@burnswhenpees]

Last dance with Mary Jane

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

BATES MOTEL!!!

[@Actaeon2nd]

Weekend at the White House

[@toryberch]

Weekend at Bernie's 😄🤣🤣🤣

[@lisaengland1048]

Yes my parents died at home . ❤

[@russellcraddock3529]

My dad died at home as well others that have posted called the police they came out the ME WAS CALLED. ASK MY MOM QUESTIONS NORMAL WHAT DIE OF ANY MEDICAL ISSUES HEART AND LUNG TROUBLES HEART ATTACK ME WELL WE POST THE BODY LOOKS FINE CALLED THE FUNERAL HOME PICKED UP THE REMAINS SOUNDS KINDA COLD BUT THAT'S WAS 52 YEARS AGO LOTS OF TIME HAD CHANGED TO TODAY!

[@missyfrey5033]

I pray like hell i pass at home in my sleep. Instead if theee cancets killimg me.

[@guntrader5652]

When I drop they can just feed me to someone’s pet tiger in Texas

[@jameslong5139]

Call the Undertaker!!!

[@lestercombs1871]

Whatever you do, don’t autopsy my ass

[@pedegars]

So you want your relatives under a cloud of suspicion?

[@benbrown9053]

In 2023 you make a tik tok video

[@boogermeister1]

have a bbq

[@nighthawk_predator1877]

Fried Green Tomatoes

[@franceskeith4934]

i got a freezer ready

[@larry1824]

Febreeze

[@lumberjack297]

Bleach like heck

[@eagle7757]

Believe means to be persuaded or convinced Salvation To believe in Jesus Christ, is to believe he is the Christ and that he guarantees everlasting life to all that believe in him New King James Version 1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 6:47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. Once Saved Always Saved John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

[@robertwhite2792]

Get away from there and hope nobody sees you.

[@davemattia]

CALL THE POLICE -- No coroner will take your call. This woman looks like she was filmed in black and white. Call the coroner of you see HER in your house.

[@user-dp2or9it3d]

Trash can

[@larry1824]

Open window and dont let the cat chew on him

[@redblade8160]

To hell with the coroner. If someone died in my home, I would rent out the room.

[@mac11380]

You hide them and collect their Social Security checks.

[@RickB1792]

Get off of them and get the heck out of there.

[@tamlamoore7962]

TAMLA TANETTE MOORE IS THE MOST HIGH AND UNSTOPPABLE TOO 🤟🏿🤟🏿🤟🏿🤟🏿👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿😜😜😜😜👿👿👿👿

[@theothertroll]

When grandpa died we just buried him in the backyard then hid his money in the kitchen 🤪

[@larry1824]

Grab.the Febreeze

[@johnward8064]

No one talks about this stuff. Thank you!

[@Ms.Tee65]

And it’s very important, so I appreciate it.

[@228BCH]

Thank you

[@jennyb7745]

Thank you,but I would probably call either my Gp or paramedics first to formally declare that my relative is dead,then proceed next step.From UK.

[@danieltaylor4819]

If they're in hospice care, call the hospice nurse. They'll take care of the details, notify the funeral home etc. No need to call 911, it's not an emergency.