Serving York County

When death happens, the place the death occurs will usually dictate the order in which things must be done. Would you know the immediate steps to take if a loved one, a co-worker or a patient dies?  If the death of your loved one occurs out-of-town or out-of-state, how does that affect funeral / burial arrangements? 

If Death Occurs in a Care Facility

When your loved one dies in a care facility such as a nursing home or hospital, the staff will notify you as well as other necessary authorities according to the facility’s protocol.  If the patient or family has designated a funeral home which is on the patient’s record, then the facility should also notify the funeral home.  However, we encourage you to call the funeral home, yourself, to assure that the notification was done. 

If your loved one was a patient in a Hospice Program, your family should already have been instructed on the procedure to follow when death occurs.  A Hospice representative will notify the coroner/medical examiner; and following their release, the Hospice will contact the funeral home.  Nevertheless, two calls are better than no calls; so we always recommend that you call us here at the Koller Funeral Home and Cremation Center as soon as possible so that we can expect the call from hospice. 

If Death Occurs at Work or at Home

If death happens at work, a co-worker should contact emergency personnel who will have a specific protocol for handling the situation based upon the circumstances.

If death occurs at home, in the presence of family and friends, then a call should be placed to emergency personnel or to the physician if the person was under active medical care.  However, if the patient was in the care of a Hospice Program, then the call should be placed to the hospice representative. 

In either case, the next call should be to the funeral home so that we can know to expect a call about your loved one. 

If Death Occurs Away From Home

Usually, when a loved one dies away from home, the death is unexpected.  The sudden nature of such news just exaggerates your emotional state.  If your loved one has no end-of-life plan that specifies wishes to funeral and burial, then you should call the funeral home in the town where you intend to have the funeral / burial.  Your funeral director will know how to proceed and will work with you to transport your loved one in a timely fashion. 

Here at the Koller Funeral Home and Cremation Center, we are here for you.  We understand what an emotionally stressful time it is when a loved one has died because we have helped countless York, PA neighbors in similar situations.  We are trained to handle all the details and guide you through the process as smoothly as possible.