Funeral Home Tips: What to Do When a Loved One Passes Away in South Charleston, WV

Losing a loved one is a challenging experience due to the range of emotions that you will feel during this time: sadness, confusion, anger, loneliness, shock, guilt, relief, and more. It is important that you feel these emotions instead of pushing them aside. At the same time, you also need to contact a funeral home in South Charleston, WV and look at other practical tasks that need to be handled.

Immediate Tasks After Death

Talking to a funeral home is one of the first steps after someone dies. Once you have enlisted the assistance of a funeral director, then you can lean on their expertise to know the next steps to follow.

Here are some of the other immediate things that should be done:

• Call emergency services right away if the death was unexpected
• Notify family members and friends so that you have support while working through the grief
• Honor cultural or family traditions, such as customs for clothing or bathing the body
• Call the mortuary or funeral home to arrange transportation for the body
• Contact people who will help with funeral arrangements, such as a funeral director and clergy
• Start the process to work with a funeral home so that you can schedule a funeral location and time

Keep in mind that many families want a little time before the body is transported away. There isn’t a “right” way to say goodbye. Some people want a few moments to hold the person’s hand, sit in contemplation next to the person, or tell them goodbye. You can take a little bit of time if desired. But, it is best to contact the funeral home within the first few hours after death.

Other Tasks to Address in the Following Weeks or Months

The first few days after the death are often busy and hectic because you are dealing with the funeral arrangements and details. But, even after the funeral is over, there are still a few things that you need to do:

• Contact the life insurance company
• Notify the Social Security office
• Request multiple copies of the death certificates, needed for the arrangements of the estate
• Look at possible Veteran’s Service benefits that are available
• Notify banks and credit card companies
• Cancel bill payments and subscriptions, such as newspaper delivery or online services
• Stop prescription delivery, if applicable
• Talk to the executor of the estate, such as the person’s lawyer
• Find professional help so that you can work through the grieving process

Even though you are done with the funeral, your funeral director is always available to answer questions and point you to the helpful resources that are available. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need more information about the tasks that need to be addressed after death.

At Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home & Crematorium, we are here to offer the leading services that are available in South Charleston, WV, and the surrounding areas. Visit us to see the funeral home facilities: 1118 Virginia St E Charleston, WV 25301. Call if you have questions about pre-planning or you need immediate funeral services: (304) 342-81351