If a Death has Occurred
Immediately
- Hospital, hospice and care facility staff will guide you through the immediate steps and will ask which funeral home you have chosen.
- If an expected death occurs at home, follow instructions that have been provided by the physician, home-care team or other healthcare provider.
- If the death is unexpected, call 911. Emergency personnel will determine the appropriate next steps.
- Once McCall Gardens has been notified, we will guide you through the process and arrange for your loved one to be brought into our care.
1-3 Days
- You do not need to have all of the answers before contacting us. Our funeral directors are available 24 hours a day to answer your questions, explain what happens next and help you begin making arrangements.
- Locate Will and any prearranged funeral information
- Consider whether burial or cremation is preferred
- Consider if you plan to have a service or gathering or if at this stage you want to arrange for a cremation without ceremony or direct burial.
- Meet with a Funeral Director at McCall Gardens to carry out arrangements
- Notify family members, friends and others who should be informed
- Begin gathering information and photographs for the obituary, if one will be published
In Days and Weeks that Follow
- Following the funeral arrangements, there are a number of administrative and estate-related matters that may require attention. There is no need to manage everything at once.
- Receive Death Certificate (and sufficient copies) from funeral home
- Our Aftercare Concierge will provide guidance, helpful checklists and information to assist families and executors with many of the responsibilities that follow a death. These may include government notifications and benefits, pensions, financial accounts, insurance, vehicle transfers and other estate-related matters.
- Where appropriate, we can help connect you with lawyers, accountants, grief counsellors and other professionals.
Preparing for a Service
- If you are planning a service or celebration of life, your funeral director will discuss all details that need to be made and and give timelines on when decisions and action items need to be finalized.
Step-by-Step Support for What Comes Next
Help and support are essential when faced with the many questions and considerations that arise. Our simple, chronologically organized checklist will aid in attending to the numerous details in this difficult time. And if at any time during this process we can answer additional questions or be of further service, please call 250-385-4465 or email info@mccallgardens.com.
The Importance of Pre-Planning
Secure peace of mind for your loved ones today.