When someone dies: the first decisions
You have more time and more rights than it feels like right now.
What has to happen soon
- A legal pronouncement of death. In a hospital or hospice this happens for you; at home, call hospice if enrolled, or 911.
- Choose a provider to bring the person into care. You can take time to compare - a transfer to one home does not lock you into using it for the funeral.
What can usually wait
- Choosing burial or cremation, a ceremony, a casket or an urn. These are decisions you can make after comparing prices on paper.
- Anything that feels like pressure to decide on the spot. The Funeral Rule gives you the right to itemized prices before you buy.
Before you sign anything
- Ask for the General Price List and compare two or three providers. Ask each provider what is included and what may be charged separately.
- You may choose services one by one; packages are optional, not mandatory.