When A Death Occurs

When death occurs, the order in which things need to be done often depends on where the death occurred. But, one thing must always be remembered: your heightened emotional state upon the death of a loved one. That is why we suggest that you ask a friend for help - someone who is more able to think clearly, and give you the support you need.

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  At Home or at Work

  When a death occurs at home or in the workplace, a family member or co-worker should contact emergency personnel and the personal physician of the deceased, if he or she was under the care of a doctor. If the death occurs at home with family or friends present, and the person is under a physician's care, the family will want to call us directly.

  However, if the death occurs in a residence and no one is there at the time of death, the police will need to be notified and respond to the residence before the deceased is removed from their home.

  If in any case you are not sure of who to notify or what to do, please call us at (570) 823-4567, and we will assist you in notifying the proper agencies.

• While Under Supervised Care

  When a death occurs in a care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, the professional staff will notify you and the necessary authorities. If the name of our firm has been left with them, the institution should notify us at the time of death. One of our professionals will contact you immediately following their notification to help you proceed. (However, we suggest you contact us immediately, so you have the reassurance you need that everything will be taken care of properly.)

  If a loved one was in the care of a hospice program, a hospice representative will give family members instructions and procedures to follow. The coroner, or medical examiner will be notified by hospice only when necessary. Following their release, the hospice team member will contact us. It is always a good idea for the family to contact us immediately so that we will be aware of the pending notification from hospice.

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  Widening the Circle

  Our staff members are experienced professionals who can provide much of the information you need, emotional support and compassionate guidance.

  While you may ask the director any questions at this time, you will be able to discuss the arrangements in detail later when you meet in person. During this initial call, the funeral director will gather information to be able to transport your loved one to our facility.

  The funeral director may ask you several questions, including whether your loved one made any advance plans. The director will also schedule a time for you to meet at our offices and will let you know what you should bring with you. Others you may want to call are:

  • family members
  • friends
  
  

  Those Important Questions

  If there is no advance plan in place, there are several other questions that you may have to have answered in regards to the death of your loved one:

  • do I have to have embalming?
  • do I need to purchase a casket?
  • what about cemetery arrangements?
  • does the family have to engage the services of a minister?
  • what type of service should we have?
  
  

  By contacting our professional planners, we will be able to help answer your questions and assist you in making the appropriate plans. You can reach us at (570) 823-4567.

  However, as we have said before, one of the best ways to make sure that all of your questions and desires are taken care of is to make advance plans. This is as simple as outlining your wishes to having all of the details arranged and the financial matters in place. Please contact one of our professionals at (570) 823-4567 to learn more about advance planning.

• What to Expect When You Arrive at Our Offices

  One of the first things your professional planner will do is to provide you with our general price list. He or she will then guide you through the entire planning process, explaining how, together, we can create a memorable and personal celebration of your loved one's life. This is not a one-way conversation; we want to know what you want and hear your ideas, and use them as the foundation for the planning process.

  This process may include:

  • preparing and filing the official death certificate
  • scheduling the location, date and time of services or events
  • selecting a casket, urn or other items
  • preparing an obituary notice
  • scheduling vehicles
  • selecting casket bearers
  
  

  You may also sign necessary authorizations or make arrangements to have them signed by the appropriate family members.

  We would like you to bring any photos, music, or memorabilia so that you and our professional planner can better discuss how you would like your loved one to be remembered. Having these things, and knowing their favorite song or favorite gathering place – even their favorite activity – will help us create a truly fitting funeral or memorial service.

  Our professional planner will assist you in planning a loving tribute that captures the spirit of the person whose life you wish to honor. To learn more about personalizing the service, please read the Honoring Life section of this website. We will discuss personalization with you during your planning conference.

  The following checklist will help you remember what information about the decedent and items will be needed when meeting with us.

  • full legal name
  • home address
  • Social Security number
  • date of birth
  • place of birth
  • father's name
  • mother's maiden name
  • military discharge papers (i.e., DD-214)
  • recent photograph(s)
  • education details
  • employment details
  • interment location (if applicable)
  • clothing
  • preferred church and clergy
  • survivors (name, relationship and location)
  • deceased relatives (name and relationship)
  • insurance policies (if applicable)

• One of McLaughlin's professional planners will be honored to explain all of the options available to you.