Third Generation Independent Funeral Directors
What to ExpectIndependent Family Funeral Directors
What to expect during your loss
We know not everyone knows what happens when they lose a loved one, so we’re outlining what you can expect to happen if you’re in this position. You can always call one of our David Hendy family team if you’d like to speak to someone and ask any questions, we’d be more than happy to help.
If you’d like to find out more about grief and how that can affect you, read more heren expect when you ask us to take care of your loved one, so you can be prepared for what happens next.
If Your Loved One Dies at Home
In this scenario, you need to contact your GP, or 111 if out of hours, so they can attend and certify the death and issue a medical certificate so that you can register it. Some surgeries will require you collect this, while others will email.
The doctor will tell you when you can continue with the process, and once you’ve been told you can proceed, you can contact your chosen funeral directors. You may choose to do this immediately, or you may want to wait until other family members have had the opportunity to say goodbye to your loved one at home in a private environment. If you’d like to choose David Hendy funeral services, you’ll speak to one of our family members, who will be able to guide you through the process sensitively and respectfully, helping you with anything you need at this time. Our Chapel of Rest is also available for you and your family members to visit and pay your respects in a peaceful environment.
If Your Loved One Dies in the Hospital
If you lose your loved one in hospital, take your time to contact your funeral director when you feel ready, and when you call us, it doesn’t have to be a long first call. You can just provide us with the information we need to ensure we can transport your loved one from the hospital to our care. This will include things like their name, address, doctor, and date of birth and death. You can tell the bereavement hospital team that you’ve chosen your funeral director, so they can speak to us directly and together we can take care of the details.
Independent Family Funeral Directors
Arranging a Funeral for Your Loved One
When you’re ready, contact one of our family members to discuss the funeral arrangements. You can visit us in either Hayle or Camborne, and we’ll be able to talk you through the funeral process. Here we’ll talk to you about the details, whether that’s who will officiate your loved one’s service, or what you’d like them to wear, we’ll cover everything with you here.
While it may seem like you’ll have a lot to consider, we’re here to support you, and make this time easier for you. We’ll speak to other organisations on your behalf, from the cemetery or crematorium to churches and ministers. This means we can focus on getting the details dealt with for you, so you can worry about less.
Our pricing is transparent, and you can find a list of our prices, here. We’ll let you know all of the fees up front, so you don’t have surprise hidden costs to add to your stress. We would suggest to carefully review funeral directors and their costs, as sometimes you can find additional charges are applied you might not have been aware of.
Reporting Deaths to the Coroner
Most deaths don’t need to be reported to the coroner before they’re registered, but some do. These might be in cases where there hasn’t been a doctor to issue a medical certificate, where the death may seem to be suspicious, or during an operation, etc. We can talk to you about this if you’re unsure. In this scenario, if your loved one died at home, it can sometimes be the case that they will need to be transferred to a hospital until a conclusion can be drawn.
What you Need for the Registrar
When you go to the registrar, you need to take a few items, such as the medical certificate for your loved one which states the cause of death, a national health medical card, birth and marriage certificates, as well as any driving licences, blue badges, and passport. The registrar can issue you a green form that you give to the funeral director—which is for a burial or cremation to take place—or a white form—which is a registration of death which is used for those receiving benefits, which can then be given to the Job Centre etc. Additionally, the registrar can give you the official death certificate, which is needed to settle affairs and the estate of your loved one. Unlike the other forms, the death certificate has a cost, and you may want to consider several copies as you’ll need them for different organisations, and they must all see the original and not a copy. The death certificate will be needed for solicitors, will processing, banks, pensions, insurance, savings, premium bonds etc.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or we can support you in any way, reach out to one of our David Hendy and Sons team, by calling 01209 612025, or pay us a visit in our Camborne or Hayle funeral directors offices.