When someone dies at home.

If the death was expected

If they had been ill for some time and were being cared for at home, perhaps with the district nurses or the hospice team visiting, the death was expected. That changes what you need to do.

1. You do not need to call 999. Call the GP surgery during the day, or NHS 111 out of hours, and tell them the person has died. If a district nurse or hospice nurse has been visiting, you can call them instead.
2. A doctor or nurse will come to confirm the death. This can take a few hours, especially at night. That is quite normal.
3. Call us when you are ready. Some families call us straight away; others want them to stay at home overnight so that family can come. Either is fine. We will come at any hour.

If the death was sudden or unexpected

If the death was not expected, or you are not sure, call 999 and ask for an ambulance. Paramedics will come, and the police usually come too. This is routine whenever a death is unexpected and does not mean anyone suspects anything.

The death will be reported to the coroner, and the person will be taken into the coroner’s care for a time. You can still choose your own funeral director, and you can call us at any point for advice. More about the coroner.

When we arrive

We will explain what we are going to do, and you can be with them for as long as you like before we take them into our care. Some families like to help, or to choose clothes, a blanket or something to go with them. You are welcome to.

We will take them to our chapel of rest in Welshpool, and we will talk with you about what happens next, whenever you are ready.

Things that can wait

• The funeral. Nothing needs deciding today.
• Registering the death. You cannot do this until the medical examiner has finished, which usually takes a few days.
• Banks, pensions, utilities and the rest.