What to Do When Someone Dies in Hospital: Steps and Paperwork

When someone dies in a hospital, the staff confirm the death, call the next of kin and start the medical paperwork, so you do not have to call 911 or the police. You can usually spend time with your loved one, and you do not have to choose a funeral home straight away. The hospital releases the body once you name a funeral home and sign the release.

What happens at the hospital right after a death?

A doctor or another clinician authorized under your state's law confirms the death and records the time. The hospital then contacts the next of kin if they were not at the bedside. Staff will usually move the person to a private space or prepare the room so you can be with them.

Nursing staff, a social worker or a chaplain can help with the immediate practical questions. If there are religious or cultural rites you want performed, such as prayers, washing or anointing, tell the nurse in charge as early as you can. Hospitals generally try to accommodate these requests, but what is possible depends on the hospital and on whether the death is being referred to a coroner.

Can you see and stay with your loved one?

In most cases, yes. Close family are generally allowed time with the person, and staff may need a short while first to remove equipment and make them comfortable. You can ask for more time, and you can also decide not to see the body if that feels right for you.

The exception is a death that may be referred to the coroner or medical examiner. In those cases, staff may limit access or the body may be moved quickly for examination. Ask the nurse in charge what applies.

Will the hospital ask about organ donation or an autopsy?

Possibly. Federal rules require hospitals to notify their organ procurement organization of patients who have died or whose death is imminent. The organization decides whether donation is medically possible, and the federal rule says the person who raises it with families must be an organ procurement representative or a staff member specially trained for that conversation. Check whether the person had registered as a donor or named a wish in an advance directive. You can decline, or ask for time to think, but donation decisions are time-sensitive.

A hospital may also ask whether you'll allow an autopsy to answer medical questions. That is a separate choice for the family, and it is different from an autopsy ordered by a coroner or medical examiner. Our guide to post-mortems and autopsies explains the difference.

When is a death referred to the coroner or medical examiner?

A coroner or medical examiner investigates deaths that are sudden, violent or unnatural, and deaths where the cause is unknown. The exact triggers depend on state law, and deaths linked to an injury or accident are more likely to be referred. The hospital will tell you if it is making a referral.

If the case is referred, the coroner or medical examiner decides whether to order an autopsy and when to release the body. Coroners can order autopsies when needed to establish the cause of death. This can delay the funeral by days or longer. Our guide to the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner covers what to expect and who to contact.

How do you get your loved one from the hospital to a funeral home?

1. Ask how long the hospital can hold the body. Policies and any charges vary, so ask the bereavement office or patient services rather than assuming.
2. Decide who has the authority to arrange the funeral. State law sets an order of priority, usually a spouse, then adult children, then parents and other relatives, unless the person named someone else in writing. Sort this out within the family before signing anything.
3. Choose a funeral home or cremation provider. You can phone more than one. Funeral homes must give you price information on the phone if you ask and a General Price List you can keep. See our guide to reading a General Price List.
4. Sign the authorization. The funeral home will usually give you its own authorization form and coordinate with the hospital. The hospital may also ask you to sign a release naming the funeral home.
5. Let the funeral home collect the body. They arrange pickup with the hospital or the coroner's office.

You do not need to decide the type of funeral at this stage. No state law requires routine embalming for every death, and refrigeration is an accepted alternative if there will be a delay.

What paperwork comes out of a hospital death?

USAGov explains that you order certified copies from the state vital records office, that fees vary, and that they are needed for things like closing accounts and claiming life insurance or pensions. Many funeral homes will order copies for you at the start, and our guides to how to get a death certificate and how many copies to order cover the details. If the death is referred to the coroner, the certificate may be delayed until the cause is determined.

What about belongings, bills and notifications?

The hospital will usually return the person's clothing, jewelry, glasses, phone and other items to the next of kin. Check the inventory before you sign and ask what to do about anything you can't take that day.

You will also start to hear from billing offices. Generally, a person's debts are paid from their estate, not by relatives personally, unless you co-signed or another exception applies, according to the FTC. You do not have to pay hospital bills on the spot, and it is reasonable to ask for time. A lawyer can advise if you are unsure.

Give the funeral home the person's Social Security number. USAGov says the funeral director should report the death to Social Security for you, and if they do not, you must. Beyond that, most notifications can wait a few days. Our first week after a death checklist puts the tasks in order, and the at-home version of this guide covers deaths outside hospitals.

What is different if the death is in a UK hospital?

The steps are similar, but the legal process differs:

• A doctor completes the medical certificate of cause of death.
• A medical examiner, a senior doctor not involved in the person's care, reviews the cause of death and usually contacts the family to explain it. Speaking to them is voluntary.
• You must wait for the medical examiner's office to confirm you can register. GOV.UK then gives 5 days to register the death (8 days in Scotland), counting weekends and bank holidays.
• The registrar gives you a certificate for burial or cremation, often called the green form, which goes to the funeral director.
• If the case is reported to a coroner, you cannot object to a coroner's post-mortem, and you can ask for an interim death certificate while an inquest is pending.

After registration, the registrar can give you a reference number for Tell Us Once. Our UK death registration guide has the full steps.

What to do next

1. Confirm with the hospital that it has the funeral home's name and authorization, and ask for the belongings inventory.
2. Ask the funeral home to order several certified death certificates and to report the death to Social Security.
3. Read the first 24 hours checklist and ask a friend to take on one or two calls so you can rest.

This guide is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rules differ by state, so confirm details with the hospital, the funeral home or your county vital records office.