When Death Occurs
When a death occurs at a hospital/nursing home/hospice facility:
The staff at care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes will notify you and the necessary authorities immediately after the death has occurred. If you have provided Sunset Funeral Service's name to the facility, we will be notified at the time of death. We will take the deceased into our care as soon as possible and contact you to discuss arrangements. Our team understands the sensitivity of this difficult time and is here to support you through the next steps.
When death occurs at home, at work, or elsewhere:
If the deceased was not under hospice care:
- Call 911 immediately. They will dispatch first responders to the location.
- The police will notify the medical examiner, who will determine if further action is necessary.
- Once the medical examiner releases the deceased, we can bring them into our care.
If the deceased was under hospice care:
- Contact the hospice representative. They will guide you through the next steps.
We understand that experiencing a death outside of a care facility can be particularly distressing. Our team is here to support you through this difficult process and will work closely with the authorities to ensure your loved one is treated with dignity and respect.
Inform a Funeral Home
After notifying the necessary authorities, your next step is to contact Sunset Funeral Service. We're here to support you, beginning immediately after the death has occurred.
When you call, we'll ask a few initial questions to understand your situation better. Following this, we'll schedule a meeting to discuss arrangements in more detail.
Remember, you don't have to navigate this challenging time alone. Our compassionate team is ready to assist you 24/7, ensuring that your loved one receives dignified care from the very beginning.
Initial Questions
1. What type of service is right for your loved one and your family?
simple cremation, celebration of life, traditional funeral and burial, other personalized arrangements, etc..
2. Would you or other family members like to see your loved one before the final disposition?
We can arrange a viewing for you and your family.
3. Do we have your permission to embalm?
If a viewing is planned, we recommend embalming for the best viewing experience.
In cases where there's a significant delay between passing and final disposition, embalming may be necessary even without a viewing.
We need your consent before proceeding with embalming.
Please know that we're here to guide you through these decisions with care and respect. There are no right or wrong choices – only what is right for you and your family in honoring your loved one's memory.
Meet with a Funeral Director
We should meet as soon as possible to begin making final arrangements. Deciding on these details may seem like a very daunting task. Do not worry: Our funeral home staff have the experience, knowledge, and resources to put together a fitting tribute.
Required Information
The required information will need to be gathered. This is the information we need to register the death with Vital Statistics, and other administrative tasks such as death notifications and benefit applications. If there is a surviving spouse, both forms will need to be completed.
Fill out the form(s) below and send it to us electronically (info@sunsetltd.ca), or print it and bring it along to our arrangements meeting.
An obituary and photo of the deceased will need to be provided as well.
