What To Do When Someone Dies

When the death occurs in hospital

Unless present when death occurs, the relatives will be notified by the nursing staff as soon as possible. Arrangements can then be made with the Hospital Patient Affairs office staff to deal with the formalities. These will include collecting the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (issued by a Hospital Doctor) and personal possessions of the deceased. The Hospital may also issue a 'Release Form', which needs to signed by the next of kin, releasing the deceased into our care.

When the death occurs at home

If the death was expected, as the deceased had been ill for some time, it would be normal to contact their Doctor or the on call Doctor who would then visit to certify that death had occurred and determine the cause of death. This may not happen immediately as the Doctor may be in his/her surgery or the death may happen in the middle of the night in which case you may decide to wait until morning before calling out the Doctor.

Later that day or the next, the Doctor will issue the relatives a form called the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. This contains a list of who can register the death, known as Informants, at the local Registry Office and what information the Registrar will require. For the details of the Bury St. Edmunds registrars office click here.

If you are uncertain whether someone has passed away then call the Doctor or dial 999 and ask for an ambulance. If the cause of death cannot be determined then the Doctor will refer the death to the coroner.

If the death occurs in another area

If death occurs away from home then the initial formalities listed above will be completed by the Doctor or Hospital staff in that area. If relatives wish to bring the deceased home for the funeral then the arrangements in both areas, including transport, can be taken care of by ourselves. Should death occur abroad then our staff can advise accordingly as to what options are available.

How to Register a Death

Who can register?

1. A close relative of deceased
2. A relative in attendance during last illness
3. A relative living in the district where death occurred
4. A person present at death
5. The person arranging the funeral


Documents required

1. Medical Certificate of Death (from Dr's or hospital/hospice)
2. Medical Card if available, or
3. Birth Certificate & information regarding date of birth


Information required to Registrar

1. Date and place of death
2. Full name of deceased (maiden name if applicable)
3. Date and place of birth
4. Occupation and home address
5. If married, full name and occupation of spouse.


Certificates

1. Disposal Certificate (green form) for the funeral director
2. Social Security Certificate (white form) to be handed in at the D.S.S. Offices with any pension books
3. Copies of Entry of Death (death certificate) for bank, insurance, solicitors.

N.B. You have to make an appointment with the registrars.
For the details of the Bury St. Edmunds registrars office click here.
It is worth getting a few copies of the death certificate from the registrars when you are there. If you run out you will have to make another appointment to get some more.

Nick On Radio Suffolk Today

Nick was on Radio Suffolk today commenting on the story below about scattering ashes.
You can listen to the interview along with others on our web site at:-

http://www.funeralhelp.co.uk/Radio.html


Where can't you put human ashes?

The ashes of Hunter S Thompson had a colourful send-off
Keith Richards joked that he snorted his father's ashes. So can you put cremains anywhere you like?

A green field, a favourite hilltop or a football pitch.

Across the UK, the remains of loved ones are being discreetly scattered in private ceremonies, usually in a beauty spot with some personal meaning to the deceased.

But up a son's nose? Keith Richards' drug-taking past has been well-documented but his apparent admission that he snorted his father's ashes gave his reputation for excess a new dimension. His agent later said the guitarist had been joking.

So are there any places out of bounds to mourners?

There are no banned areas enshrined in law, and that includes the nostrils, says a spokesman at the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

"There's nothing in the Cremation Act 1930 to restrict people in disposing of the ashes," he says.

"There are physical environmental concerns, so if someone dies and his house is under new ownership and his loved ones spread the ashes on the vegetable patch, there would be an issue.

"But that comes under the same legislation as if litter was thrown on someone's property."

People can deposit them where they wish, says Leonie Kellaher, a professor of anthropology who is working on a study of the scattering of ashes.

"But there are warnings about not putting them on private land without the owner's permission, and people are expected to be 'sensitive'. But no-one is watching, or censoring this activity with ashes."

Some clergy are opposed to the remains being divided up among family members, she adds.

And although not backed by legislation, some popular locations have moved to warn bereaved relatives off their sites.

Last year, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland said the soil on some of the summits was being damaged.

And boaters who cruise along the River Soar in Leicestershire have said if mourners continue to sprinkle ashes in the water - particularly popular among Hindu and Sikh mourners - the river will become unusable.

Some football clubs have opened special memorial gardens for the ashes of fans, to stop the pitch being used.

Tighter regulations exist in other parts of northern Europe, says Prof Kellaher. And there are some EU rules restricting scattering in the sea, especially along the North Sea coast.

The scattering of ashes is a relatively recent phenomenon. In the 1970s, only about 12% of ashes were taken away by loved ones, the rest staying at the crematorium. But by 2005 that had risen to nearly 60%.

Over that time cremations have risen sharply, but the figure is now pretty steady at about 70%.

Most are buried or scattered in a garden at the crematorium but personal ceremonies are becoming more off-beat as people think ahead to plan their own funerals.

The ashes of gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson were put in fireworks and launched from a 150ft tower in Colorado. And in 1997 the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry were fired into outer space aboard a Spanish research satellite due to orbit the Earth for six years.

It's even possible to get a loved one's remains made into a diamond, or even a vase, says Caron Staley of the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath.

"People are talking a little bit more about it and TV programmes like Six Feet Under and Desperate Housewives means it's more in the minds of people."

How to save your family a lot of upset.......in 5 minutes!!

It’s amazing to think that the majority of us leave it to our loved ones to “guess” what type of funeral we would have wanted! You would not believe the stress and heartache that this can cause the ones we leave behind……during one of the most difficult times in their lives.

I’ve lost count of the number of arguments, tears and the upset caused to families by having to make such huge decisions at this most difficult time.

A lot of this can be relieved by simply taking 5 minutes and filling out an Advance Funeral Wishes Forms.

Isn’t saving your loved ones some of the upset worth 5 minutes of your time?

You can even complete our advance wishes form on-line in the comfort of your own home giving you time to think about your send off and also involving family members if you wish.

This can be done simply via our web site at www.myfuneralwishes.co.uk

The form has been used by many people to leave wishes for the type of funeral they would like. It is popular because it saves your family having to guess about the arrangements when the time comes.

This is not a Pre-Payment plan just a Pre-Arrangement copy of your wishes, the funeral itself can be paid for at the time by your family or from your estate in the usual way.

Simply complete the form and click on the submit button at the end. When we receive your completed form we will check what your wishes are and keep the details on our files. We will then send you two free packs, one for you and one for your relatives or executor. This will give them all of the information needed when the time arises so all it takes is one phone call to us to take care of all of the arrangements.

Bury In Bloom

Armstrongs were proud to receive a gold award in the Bury In Bloom competition last night.

We have spent a great deal of time looking after our displays and only had one act of mindless vandalism this year which believe me is something to be happy about!!!

We are looking forward to recieving our judges comments in the post to see how we can do even better next year.

Why we do it!

Whenever I tell anyone what I do, one of the first questions they ask is 'how can you do a job like that? Well, there are loads of reasons to be honest and I'll share some of my thoughts and the thoughts of the rest of the team at Armstrongs on here in time, but I have to say my first answer every time is 'the thank you letters'.

I can't think of any other profession where you receive letters like we do on such a regular basis. It's an honor to be able to help people through one of the hardest times in their lives and while it's not always easy for us too, the letters and cards make it all worthwhile.

Here are a few snippets......


Dear Armstrongs,

A big thank-you to all the team for arranging my late aunts funeral. I couldn't have received better service in an age when courtesy and commitment seem to have gone out of the window. It was something I've dreaded happening but you steered the whole thing through from start to finish with the utmost professionalism. My aunt especially had asked that you did her funeral and she was a very particular person born of an era when standards were expected to be high. I'm delighted to say that you more than fulfilled this.

It was a day when I didn't need anything to go wrong, as although 90 years of age, it was still very sad for us that she had gone. So well done the whole team.

---------

Your men are a credit to your business and your business and yourself are a credit to the trade.

---------

When my father came into your care I felt that both him and the family were treated as though we were your own family. It was very comforting and I thank you for that.

---------

Every aspect of the funeral was handled with impeccable taste and dignity and you really deliver your ‘caring and personal service'.

A worrying time for the independents?

Dignity profits up 17%

Dignity has reported a 17% jump in first-half, pre-tax profits to £21.1 million, excluding the sale of fixed assets worth £10 million. Revenue for the first six months of the year rose 12% to £90.6 million, boosted by the acquisition of nine funeral homes and a crematorium.

The group, which owns 548 funeral homes and 23 crematoria in Britain including L Fulcher and F Clutterhams in Bury St Edmunds said it is looking for opportunities to buy up smaller rivals in what remains a fragmented sector.


Armstrongs are the only independent family firm left in Bury St Edmunds!

Coming soon

Just to let you know we will be adding articles, pictures and interviews with the staff of West Suffolk Crematorium and also Bury cemetery soon. We also hope to add news from local charities and churches too.

The role of the coroner

The Coroner (Procurator Fiscal in Scotland)

The main duties of the Coroner are to investigate all sudden and unexpected deaths and also to give permission to remove a deceased person out of England and Wales if this is necessary.

Once a death has been reported to the Coroner he/she will decide what action is necessary following initial investigations of the facts surrounding the death by his/her officers. This may include a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.

The Coroner will arrange the task of transferring the deceased to the local hospital, which is often done under contract using one of the big national or multi-national companies. This does not oblige the family in any way to use the services of that company. The family still have the flexibility to select whichever funeral director they require without incurring any extra cost.

In the case of unnatural, unexplained, violent, or workplace deaths the Coroner will hold an inquest after a post-mortem. This will be open to the public and is to ascertain who the deceased was, how, when and where they died and the particulars legally needed to register the death. Often an inquest can be opened and adjourned to allow the funeral to take place.

Further details on the roles and responsibilities of the Coroner are available in a pamphlet published by the Home Office entitled 'The work of the Coroner', a copy of which can be obtained from us.

Funeral News

Funeral directors in Weston, Somerset are warning clients that funerals and wakes in the area are being gatecrashed by people who claim to know the deceased, then help themselves to a 'free feed'.

What a way to go!!

Some traditional and not so traditional hearses!

All of these are UK based and can be used by
Armstrongs as part of the cortege

Funeral News

A report by Barclay's has found that Norwich is the 'region's funeral parlour capital'. The bank prepared a trading map of small businesses which showed the highest and lowest concentrations of types of business. One funeral director in the area commented that '....the abundance of funeral parlours in Norwich did not mean more people were dying in the city, but reflects the rural nature of the surrounding county'.

Ways to personalise a funeral

While we are involved with funerals on a daily basis, we never forget that completing all the arrangements of a funeral service is a task most families face only a few times. Our intention is to help make every service personal and meaningful, and truly reflective of the life that was lived.

While there are many different ways to personalise the service, here are some ideas and ways in which we can help:

Write a letter to the person who has passed away and express all of the feelings you ever wanted to say, but were afraid to or just never got around to expressing. Seal the letter in an envelope for us to place in the coffin. Your written thoughts will go with your loved one to his or her final resting-place.

Bring in the favourite song of the person who has passed away on compact disc or cassette to be played as part of the funeral service.

Flowers can be handed out to be placed on the coffin at the graveside after the service or at the church or crematorium before.

If your loved one had a hobby of building things or was involved in the arts, crafts or photography, bring some of their works in to be displayed at the funeral. We can even take quilt work and drape it over the coffin for example.

Balloons can be released after the service. Everyone can be given one and some brief words can be said before releasing them in the air.

Bring in photographs spanning the life of the person who has passed away and we will incorporate them into a memory board to be present at the funeral service. These can be photos with family, friends at work, fishing, golfing, knitting, baking, serious and comical.

If you have favourite scripture readings, let the minister know what they are and see if they they can be incorporated into the service.

The person who has passed away has likely touched the lives of many people. For those who knew the deceased, it is often viewed as quite an honor to be asked to speak at the funeral. The speaker need not have a professionally written eulogy but rather may write something personal or select a favorite poem or scripture verse.

If your loved one composed poetry or essays, let us have a copy, they could be recited as a part of the remembering ritual of the funeral.

Place cherished items in the coffin like pictures of the grandchildren and other family members, a photo of the family pet, a well worn cap, or a religious item. We are happy to advise on items which will be suitable.

If a husband always drove his wife everywhere or a wife drove her husband everywhere, consider having the spouse ride in the hearse with our staff member. It is a very personal way of accompanying your loved one to their final resting-place.

Consider a favourite place your loved one liked to go, like their favourite park, or a favourite restaurant, or maybe they were happiest at home. We can arrange to have the procession pass by this favourite place.

Hi there and welcome

This is our first post on what we believe to be the first "true" blog by a funeral service in the UK.

The idea behind our blog is to give members of the public funeral related news, interviews, articles, advice and helpful information.

Some of this will be news and stories about Armstrongs, some will be helpful information for those in need and some will be about the funeral service and funeral directors in general.

We hope you will find this blog both helpful and informative and that it will help to demystify our profession, giving you an insight into what goes on "behind the closed doors"

If you have any ideas for this site then please contact us and we will try to help.

For our company website please visit :-

www.funeralhelp.co.uk

Nick Armstrong M.B.I.E
Proprietor