When Death Occurs

It does not matter if a death comes suddenly or following a long illness, it is quite often an experience that nobody feels prepared to handle. Our directors and staff at Walter J. Kent Funeral Home want to assure those who have experienced a loss that there is no time table for grief and that people grieve in many different ways.

When possible, it is best select a funeral home as soon a concern arises. Your funeral director will be first contact for any hospital or nursing home; this eases the process for family, who can rest assured that a licensed professional will be immediately available.
Your funeral director will then contact your family for an arrangement conference; during that time your director will handle the legal aspects while working with your family to determine the services of your choice. During a time of grief and loss, which can be sudden in its onset, our directors will be here to assist those in need in every facet of service arrangements.

When death occurs at home,

If the person was not under hospice care, the police will have to be notified immediately.  The police will be dispatched to the home and place the call to the coroner/medical examiner.  From there the coroner/medical examiner will determine whether further action is necessary.  The coroner/medical examiner must release the body before a funeral home. 

 
If the person was under hospice care, contact the hospice representative if they were not present and they will notify family members what the proper procedures are to follow.

When a death occurs at a hospital/nursing home/hospice facility

The staff of a care facility such as a hospital or a nursing home will notify you and the necessary authorities immediately after a death has occurred.  If a funeral home has been provided to the hospital or nursing home, they will be notified at the time of death.  If you are present at the hospital when the funeral director arrives, they will ask a few questions about the deceased wishes and set up a time to come into the funeral home to make arrangements, however, if you are not present a funeral director will contact you by telephone to discuss these arrangements.

Making Arrangements

Meeting with our directors can be done face to face at the funeral home or over the phone. This allows us to collect  information that we need to file the legal paperwork necessary and, most importantly, gather family members to plans services to honor the deceased.

Please note the list below of the information we will need to complete and file the death certificate as required by law.

Full Name and Address
Social Security Number
Marital Status
Race/Ethnicity
Date and City of Birth
Highest Level of Education
Father’s Name, Mother’s Name (including maiden name)
Name of Spouse (if married or widowed)
Occupation and Employer

Your funeral director will also assist you in matters including,

Closing bank accounts
Social Security notification & Death Benefit filing
Military benefits
Life Insurance Policies / Pensions

Other legal matters can be referred to the proper office or agency by your director

If no pre-planning has been done, arrangements that will need to be made include the following.
arrangement details depend  on the type of services that are chosen;

Scheduling the location, date and time of the visitation and funeral service
Selecting burial or cremation
Selecting funeral products (merchandise, stationary, etc.)
Arranging a cemetery plot purchase and/or grave opening
Preparing an obituary notice
Scheduling military honors services for a veteran
Selecting a clergyperson, celebrant, or officiant for services
Scheduling transportation arrangements

We are gathering to create the services for your loved one that will best emulate their lives and honor their memory.

Funeral services can be personalized; incorporating music, life long passions, family traditions, as well as involving those people important to your loved one are some ways that your funeral director can help you to create services that reflect and cherish their lives.

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