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What To Do When Someone Dies
This page summarizes the tasks that need to be completed when someone dies. Some of these tasks will be performed by a funeral parlor and some will be performed by a responsible family member. When someone dies they may be living at home, living at home under hospice care, or in a hospital or nursing home.
Death Occurs at Home
lf the deceased party passes away at home and is not under hospice care, call 911 and notify the local authorities. They will send emergency medical staff to the home to determine the best course of action. Depending on a number of different factors the emergency medical staff may release the deceased party to a funeral parlor, transfer the deceased to a local hospital for pronouncing, or refer the death to the local medical examiner/coroner's office for review. Once a decision has been made, call a funeral parlor so its staff can come to the appropriate location and transfer the deceased to its facility.
Death Occurs at Home under Hospice Care
lf the deceased was under hospice care, call the hospice staff and notify them of the death. A hospice nurse will immediately be sent to the home to verify and establish the time of death. You should also notify a funeral parlor of the situation. While you wait for the hospice nurse, you may invite family or friends to the family home for a final goodbye. Once the hospice nurse has come to the home and you are ready, call the funeral parlor so its staff can transfer the deceased to its facility.
Death Occurs in a Nursing Home or Medical Facility
lf the deceased passes away at a nursing home, hospital or other medical facility, then you should notify the staff which funeral parlor has been selected to handle the final arrangements. If the deceased party is at a nursing home, the staff will often let you take as much time as you would like for family to gather for a final goodbye. When the time is right, they will call the funeral parlor so its staff can come to the facility and transfer the deceased to its facility. lf the death came as a result of an accident or may be considered a wrongful death, then the coroner's office will automatically be contacted and some legal procedures will need to be conducted.
Funeral Parlor Responsibilities
lf the deceased has a prearrangement with a funeral parlor, then the responsible family member should contact that funeral parlor so that the deceased's membership information can be updated. lf the deceased party does not have a prearrangement, then the responsible family member needs to select a funeral parlor for the final arrangements (cremation, burial, services, etc.). The responsible family member will need to work with the funeral parlor to complete all forms and authorizations required for cremation in the state of Ohio. The funeral parlor will then prepare the Certificate of Death and deliver it to the physician of record for signing. Once the certificate is signed and following the mandatory 24 hour waiting period established by the State of Ohio, the body of the deceased can be scheduled for cremation.
► The funeral parlor staff will record the death certificate with the local health department and secure copies as directed by the responsible family member.
► The funeral parlor staff will notify the Social Security Administration of the death and assist the family with filing any claims. Benefits are only paid to a surviving spouse or dependent children.
► The funeral parlor staff can coordinate any arrangements selected by the family. This includes a memorial or celebration of life service, private viewing, or interment in a local or National Veterans Cemetery.
► The funeral parlor staff can prepare and write an obituary for the family, including placement on its website. Some funeral parlors charge for preparing the obituary and all newspapers charge to print an obituary. Because they have more knowledge of the deceased, the family should prepare the obituary.
► Most funeral parlors provide additional cost options to families interested in urns, urn vaults, services at the time of cremation, or other memorial packages.
Family Responsibilities
1. If no prearrangements have been made for cremation or burial, then the responsible family member needs to select a funeral parlor to conduct the final arrangements.
2. Contact an attorney, accountant, and executor of estate.
3. Determine number of death certificates required. One per life insurance policy and one per bank (see #8 below).
4. Contact the deceased's employer and find out about compensation due, benefits, whether dependents are still eligible for coverage, and whether or not there is life insurance coverage through the company.
5. Contact the Social Security Administration and other agencies or benefit programs that may be making payments to the deceased. The number for the Social Security Administration is 800-772-1213. Any checks the deceased received from the month of death onward will have to be returned to the Social Security Administration. The SSA may provide a $255.00 one-time death benefit to a surviving spouse.
6. If the deceased was in the U. S. Armed Services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard), contact the Veterans Administration at 800-827-1000 to stop any monthly disability benefits and determine if there are any funeral or death benefits available.
7. Contact life insurance companies and determine what information is needed to file a claim.
8. Contact the deceased's credit card and charge card companies to cancel and pay off all other account(s).
9. Contact the deceased's banks to determine what is required. lf they require a death certificate, then give them an original and let them make a copy for their records. Most banks will not accept a copy from you.
10. Contact the deceased's utility companies to change or discontinue service.
11. Contact the deceased's newspaper to stop subscriptions.
12. Contact the deceased's post office, if necessary, to forward mail.
13. Review old records (tax returns, bank and brokerage statements, titles to vehicles, checkbooks, etc.) to determine if any accounts need attention.
14. Find estate documents including will, trust, and power of attorney papers.
15. Find key financial documents including stock certificates, bearer bonds, etc.
16. Collect asset information including life insurance policies, bank accounts, retirement accounts, investment accounts, real estate interests, and business ownerships.
17. Collect liability information including mortgages on real estate. taxes owed, credit card debt, credit line debt and unpaid bills.
18. Determine location of safe deposit box and keys.
19. Inventory personal belongings.
20. Review estate information, including probate issues, with an attorney.
21. File tax return for deceased.
Questions to ask when choosing a funeral parlor. Does the funeral parlor have its own crematorium? If yes, is the crematorium available for family members to observe the cremation? Is there a cremation-only fee? What are the fees for family gatherings, services, and viewings? Can family observances be conducted in someone's home rather than at the funeral parlor?
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At the end of a person's life, custom brings family and friends together to provide an appropriate recognition of the person's life and as well as disposition of the deceased's body. In some cultures this observance includes funerals and bodily burial while other cultures favor cremation. Sometimes accompanying services and events provide an opportunity for respectful reflection on the individual's life. The BCAA makes this web page available to help members of the Bhutanese community understand the different cremation services provided and how various companies charge for these services. Several cremation societies, crematoriums, and funeral homes are listed below from the least costly to the most costly. These companies are included because they have their own crematoriums. Under the Cost of Cremation are the services provided in the basic package. If the family requests extra services such as visitation, witnessing, or observation during the cremation they will be responsible for additional charges. |
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Area Cremation Group 3475 Copley Road Copley OH 44321 330-253-6126 Services provided by Hummel Funeral Home 500 East Exchange Street Akron OH 44304 330-253-6126 Crematorium Location 3475 Copley Road Copley OH 44321 Time from International Institute = 16 - 20 minutes |
Cost of Cremation = $756.44 |
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Heritage Cremation Society 520 South Main Street #2511 Akron OH 800-864-2295 Crematorium Location 516 Enterprise Circle Louisville OH Time from International Institute = 35 - 46 minutes |
Cost of Cremation = $845 Answer phone call for body Obtain and provide family with a signed death certificate Obtain cremation transit permit from health department Transport body to crematory in alternate container Family picks up cremated remains Alternate container Crematory fee Burial transit permit Summit County sales tax Private viewing area at crematory for 2 to 12 intimate family (no friends) All arrangements done at family home Cost of Visitation/Witnessing/Ceremony Chapel available for up to 100 people = $ 300-400 Charges for Optional Services Urn $50+ Death certificate = $ 22 |
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Cremation Society of Ohio 791 E Market Street Akron OH 44305 800-664-1012 Services provided by Adams Mason Funeral Home 791 E Market Street Akron OH 44305 330-535-9186 Crematorium Location Time from International Institute = 6 - 10 minutes |
Cost of Cremation = $ 1,498 |
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Newcomer Funeral Home and Cremation Services 131 North Canton Road Akron OH 330-784-3334 Crematorium Location Akron Crematory 2399 Gilchrist Road Akron OH 48305 Time from International Institute = 9 - 16 minutes |
Cost of Cremation = $ 1,520 (includes alternate container and urn) Transfer of body to crematorium Minimal office and vehichle support Cremation Cost of Visitation/Witnessing/Ceremony Family viewing for 30 minutes and up to 10 people = $400 Charges for Optional Services Urn $50+ Death certificate = $ 22 |
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Donovan-Bagnoli Funeral Home 17 Southwest Ave Tallmadge OH 44278 330-633-3350 Crematorium Location 339 Southwest Ave Tallmadge OH 44278 Time from International Institute = 9 - 12 minutes |
Cost of Cremation = $2,170 Cost of Visitation/Witnessing/Ceremony Basic Services Cremation Transport body to crematory Service Car Death Certificate Alternate container Ohio Sales Tax Charges for Optional Services Urn $50+ Use of funeral home = $ ??? Newspaper obituary = $+ depending on length Death certificate = $ ?? |
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Clifford-Shoemaker Funeral Home and Crematory 1930 Front Street Cuyahoga Falls OH 44221 330-928-2147 Crematorium Location 1930 Front Street Cuyahoga Falls OH 44221 Time from International Institute = 5 - 10 minutes |
Cost of Cremation = $2,400 Cost of Visitation/Witnessing/Ceremony Office staff assistance Cremation Death certificate Viewing room for 4 to 10, standing room only for more Alternate container Ohio Sales Tax Charges for Optional Services Death certificates $22 each Obituary $150+ Urn $50+ |
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Ohio State Law on Burial of Indigent People: The
Ohio Revised Code Section 9.15 requires cities or counties to pay for the cremation of indigent
people. An “indigent person” is one whose income does not exceed 150% of the
federal poverty line for the family size equal to the size of the
person’s family. Using the 2013 federal poverty guidelines, a person in
a household by himself or herself would be indigent if his or her income
were less than $17,235. For a family of two, the indigent level would
rise to $23,265. For each additional person in the family, the
indigency level rises by $6,030. For an example, in a household of
four, the indigency level would be an annual income that was less than
$35,325. According to the Law Office of the City of Akron, in addition to the deceased being indigent, he or she must have been a resident of Akron for at least one year and have no assetts whatsoever in their name, such as a car or home. If the person was 18 or older, the City of Akron pays $900 toward cremation and required documents. For ages 1 through 17 years of age, the city pays $450. For infants less than 1 year old the city pays $150. Any supplemental money spent for flowers or obituaries is subtracted from the $900. If a family gathers money towards cremation expenses, that amount is subtracted from the $900. |
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| Note on when cremation can occur: Most families want the creamation to happen quickly after death. Families must be aware that the crematorium must get legal documentation before the cremation can occur. This requires the right person from the family to authorize the cremation, the medical examiner approval, and authority to move the body. Death over a weekend can delay some of this paperwork or an unusual number of deaths can slow things down. | ||||||||||
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Special Note on Suicide/Murder: In the event that
an individual takes their own life or is murdered, special procedures
usually need to be followed which require embalming and body
preparation. These procedures usually require an extra fee of
approximately $500. |
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