What to Do When a Loved One Dies at Home
If a loved one dies at home while on hospice, call your hospice agency’s on-call nurse. If they weren’t on hospice, call 911. Once the death is pronounced, contact your cremation or funeral provider to schedule pickup. Find out more about the process and how Opal provides support.
Key Takeaways
- When a death happens at home, it can feel shocking. If your loved one was on hospice, call the hospice agency first. If not, call 911.
- Opal is available 24/7 and can arrange residential pickups within 2 hours. We can also help with the follow-up, including ordering the death certificate, scheduling cremation, returning the ashes to you, and assisting with sea scatterings.
- It’s also important to care for yourself after a loved one passes. Accept help if you need it, seek grief resources, and give yourself time to heal.
Table of Contents
- What Should You Do Right Away When Your Loved One Dies at Home?
- What Happens in the Days After a Loved One Dies at Home?
- Making Final Arrangements
- How Can You Take Care of Yourself in the Days After?
- How Can Opal Help When a Loved One Dies at Home?
- FAQs
Introduction
When a loved one dies at home, it can be shocking, even if the death was expected. Yet it happens more often than you might think. An analysis of CDC WONDER data by Trilliant Health found hospitals were the most common place of death at 34.6% in 2024, with home deaths close behind at 34.3%.
But the fact that home deaths are common doesn’t mean they are any less shocking. Families may not know who to call or what to prioritize. This guide covers what to do right away and what to expect in the days that follow.
What Should You Do Right Away When Your Loved One Dies at Home?
After a loved one dies at home, you’ll call your hospice provider or 911, depending on whether your loved one was on hospice, take time to say goodbye, and contact your cremation or funeral provider.
Step 1: Call Hospice or 911
Who to call first depends on whether your loved one was on hospice. If they were, call the hospice agency’s on-call nurse, who will come to the home and pronounce the death. If they weren’t, call 911, even if the death was expected. Paramedics and police will respond, and the death will be reported to the coroner.
If the coroner needs to review the death, their staff will bring your loved one to the coroner’s office. You don’t have to wait for the review to finish before choosing a cremation or funeral provider. Let your provider know the coroner is involved, and they’ll coordinate the release.
Once the coroner approves the release, Opal’s dispatch team typically brings your loved one into our care within 24 hours, though it can take up to 48 hours during busy periods.
Who To Call First
| Situation | Who to call first | Who pronounces death | Will the coroner be involved? |
| Loved one was on hospice | Hospice agency’s on-call nurse | Hospice nurse | Usually not, if the cause of death is known |
| Loved one was not on hospice | 911 | Paramedics, physician, or coroner | The death is reported, and the coroner may review it |
| Loved one had a pre-need plan | Hospice or 911 first, then your pre-need provider | Same as above | Same as above |
Step 2: Take Time to Say Goodbye
Many families choose to take time to say goodbye to their loved one before the body is picked up. You may want to gather family, engage in a cultural or religious ritual, or practice other comfort steps. The National Institute on Aging notes there’s no need to move the body right away if someone dies at home, and if the person was in hospice, a plan for what happens after death will likely already be in place.
However, keep a few guidelines in mind.
If your loved one wasn’t on hospice, don’t touch the body or move anything until responders say it’s okay. If they were on hospice, don’t remove medical equipment unless the hospice nurse says it’s fine.
There’s no set rule for how long your loved one can stay at home, but the body begins to go through natural changes within a few hours of death. Keeping the room cool can help. Most families choose to have their loved one picked up within a few hours, but if you need more time for family to arrive or for religious or cultural traditions, let your cremation provider know so they can plan around it.
“After the death, before you call the funeral home, let everyone go in alone one last time if they want.”
Barbara Karnes, hospice nurse and educator, from the article What to Say to Someone Who Is Dying, According to Hospice Workers
If your loved one was on hospice, a few small steps can help make saying goodbye more peaceful. With your hospice nurse’s okay, lay your loved one flat soon after death and place a small pillow under their head, which helps them look peaceful as natural stiffening sets in. A rolled towel under the chin can help keep the mouth closed. It’s also a good idea to put pets in another room before the team arrives, since they may sense what’s happening and become anxious or protective.
Step 3: Contact Your Funeral or Cremation Provider
Your provider will send a team to bring your loved one into their care. If your loved one had a pre-need plan, the provider likely already has everything they need. If not, you’ll be asked to provide basic information such as your loved one’s location, your contact information, and your loved one’s approximate weight, which helps the provider send the right team.
Opal’s team typically arrives within 2 hours, though timelines can vary among providers.
Clear a path from your loved one’s room to the front door, and let us know about stairs, narrow hallways, or a long walk from parking. It’s also helpful to tell us when you call if your loved one had a pacemaker or other implanted device, since these need to be removed before cremation.
What Happens in the Days After a Loved One Dies at Home?
In the days after a loved one dies at home, you will need to secure the home if no one lives there, notify family and key contacts, work with the cremation or funeral provider to make arrangements, and think about memorial options.
Secure the Home and Important Documents
If no one is staying in the home, lock it up securely for now. Consider how you will arrange care for pets and dependents. You may need certain documents to make arrangements and handle your loved one’s affairs, such as:
- Their will
- Their photo ID and Social Security number
- Insurance and pre-need documents
- Their DD-214 if they were a veteran
If they are at home, gather these so you can refer to them when needed.
Hospice patients also often have opioids and strong medications at home, and families should dispose of them safely.
Notify Key Contacts
Thinking about everyone you need to notify can feel overwhelming, so don’t hesitate to ask a friend or relative to help spread the word. Start with close family and friends, then work outward to employers, financial institutions, and government agencies. Our guide to Who to Notify When Someone Dies walks you through the full list.
Ordering the Death Certificate
You’ll also need to begin ordering the death certificate. At Opal, this starts with a Vital Information Form (VIF), which collects the details needed for the certificate, followed by an arrangement conference. During the conference, we’ll confirm the VIF information and discuss options like urn choice and how many certified copies you’d like.
You can complete the arrangement conference by phone, so you don’t need to leave home.
Many banks, insurers, and government agencies require a certified copy, so it’s worth thinking about how many you’ll need before your arrangement conference. Our guide to getting a copy of a death certificate in California explains the process in more detail.
Opal Cremation packages include one death certificate. Additional death certificates can be ordered for $26. And if you don’t order enough at first, we can always help you order more.
Certified copies typically arrive in about two weeks.
Families can fill out the Vital Information Form anytime, even before a death. Completing it ahead of time means you won’t have to track down details like a parent’s maiden name or place of birth during an already difficult time.
Making Final Arrangements
While this is happening, a member of the cremation team arranges the cremation in the background. At Opal, we handle all of that, from scheduling the cremation to returning your loved one’s ashes.
Some families want a viewing before cremation, which we can also arrange. A viewing can be as simple and personal as you’d like, but some want more elaborate viewings, which may mean inviting guests, having certain items present, etc. The choice is completely up to you.
You can also plan a celebration of life at a later date, when you feel emotionally ready and are done with other aspects of funeral arrangements. This more casual timeline is a benefit of cremation. With a traditional funeral, the service usually takes place within a week or two of the death. Celebrations of life tend to be more relaxed and personal, focusing on your loved one’s life.
Opal can help you explore your options. We help families with sea scatterings and other adventurous options, like cremation diamonds and parting stones. Let us know how you think your loved one would like to be remembered, and we’ll help you find the right solution.
How Can You Take Care of Yourself in the Days After?
The death of a loved one is emotional, and it’s important to take care of yourself by accepting help, seeking out grief support resources, and giving yourself time to breathe and grieve.
- Accept Help: Close friends, family members, and partners may offer support. Don’t be too proud to say yes.
- Seek Grief Resources: Many online and in-person grief support groups are low-cost or free and can provide compassion during a difficult time.
- Give Yourself Time: Not everything has to be done in the first day or even the first week. Work out a timeline so you can do things at a pace that feels comfortable.
How Can Opal Help When a Loved One Dies at Home?
Opal provides support from the moment a loved one passes until cremation is complete, and beyond, if necessary. Our team is available 24/7 with residential pickups within 2 hours. Once your loved one is in our care, we can walk you through the paperwork and death certificate ordering- you don’t even need to leave your home. We can also assist with sea scattering, cremation diamonds, parting stones, and other memorial options.
Our packages are all-inclusive and include unlimited transportation within L.A. and Orange County, a death certificate, an urn, and free shipping of the ashes or pickup at one of our locations. If your loved one has passed, call us any time, day or night, at 888-264-2475. If you’re planning ahead, our pre-need team can help you put arrangements in place, so your family won’t have to make these decisions later.
Contact us to learn more about our cremation services.
FAQs
Can I move my loved one’s body myself?
It’s best to leave the body unmoved unless a professional allows it. If your loved one wasn’t on hospice, moving the body could interfere with the coroner’s review. If they were on hospice, the nurse may need to remove medical equipment first.
What if the death happens in the middle of the night?
Opal provides pickup within a two-hour window for residential deaths, 24/7. Hospice nurses and 911 workers are also on call around the clock.
Who pronounces death at home in California?
If a hospice nurse is overseeing care, they can pronounce the death. Otherwise, paramedics who respond to your 911 call, your loved one’s physician, or a coroner will handle it, depending on the circumstances.
Does a death at home always involve the coroner?
No, a death at home does not always involve the coroner. If your loved one is in hospice and the cause of death is known, you can simply schedule pickup with your funeral service provider.
What should I do if my loved one had a pre-need plan?
If your loved one had a pre-need plan, contact the funeral provider first. They will have your loved one’s wishes on file, which can make the process faster and easier.
Sources
- More Americans Are Dying at Home, but Hospital-Based Deaths Remain Most Common. Trilliant Health. https://www.trillianthealth.com/market-research/studies/more-americans-dying-at-home-hospital-based-deaths-most-common
- What To Do After Someone Dies. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/grief-and-mourning/what-do-after-someone-dies
- What to Say to Someone Who Is Dying, According to Hospice Workers. TIME. https://time.com/article/2026/08/05/what-to-say-to-someone-who-is-dying/
- When Death Happens at Home. Hospice Foundation of America. https://hospicefoundation.org/?p=84226
- What to Do After a Loved One Dies: A Hospice Family’s Guide. VNA Texas. https://www.vnatexas.org/caregiver-resources/what-to-do-after-a-loved-one-dies-a-hospice-familys-guide/
- Families: What Should I Do Now? Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. https://me.lacounty.gov/for-families/
- Obtaining Certified Copies of Death Certificates. California Department of Public Health. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records-Obtaining-Certified-Copies-of-Death-Records.aspx
- Consumer Guide to Funeral and Cemetery Purchases. California Department of Consumer Affairs, Cemetery and Funeral Bureau. https://cfb.ca.gov/consumer/consumer_guide.pdf
- FTC Funeral Rule. Federal Trade Commission. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/ftc-funeral-rule
- Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines
