After a loss

When someone dies in a hospital or hospice facility

Staff handle the first steps. The family's main job is choosing a funeral home.

When a death happens in a hospital, nursing home or hospice facility, staff take care of confirming the death and the first paperwork. The family usually has a few decisions to make in the hours that follow.

What usually happens

1. A doctor or nurse confirms the death. Family members can usually stay with the person for a while.
2. Staff may ask about organ or tissue donation. Hospitals are required to notify the local organ procurement organization, the nonprofit that coordinates donations in that area, which decides whether donation is possible.
3. Staff may ask whether the family wants an autopsy, a medical examination after death to find out more about the cause. In some cases a medical examiner decides instead.
4. Staff ask which funeral home to call. The person usually stays in the hospital's morgue until the funeral home collects them.
5. The family collects the person's belongings, or arranges to pick them up later.

Timing

Hospitals generally can't hold a body for long, so they usually ask the family to name a funeral home within a day or two. The exact time varies by hospital. Families who aren't ready can usually ask for a little more time.

The death certificate is usually handled between the doctor and the funeral home. The family doesn't normally file it themselves.