What you should do when a loved one dies at home depends first on whether the death was expected. If it was sudden or unexplained, call 911. If the person was on hospice or had a terminal diagnosis, call the hospice nurse or their physician instead. From there a predictable sequence follows: death is pronounced, the body is moved by a funeral home, a death certificate is issued, and you begin notifying people and institutions and handling the estate.
Make the Right First Call
For an unexpected death, call 911 before doing anything else. Paramedics will respond and attempt resuscitation unless they find clear signs the person has been dead for some time. If your loved one had a Do Not Resuscitate order or a POLST form (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment), have the document physically in hand when responders arrive. Without that paperwork in front of them, paramedics are trained to begin life-saving measures and contact a base hospital for direction. A DNR filed away in a drawer upstairs does nobody any good in this moment. If someone in your household has one, keep it posted somewhere visible.
For an expected death under hospice, call the hospice number rather than 911. A hospice nurse will come to the home, confirm the death, and handle the first steps. If there is no hospice but the person had a terminal diagnosis, call their primary physician. There is no rush to move the body. You can sit with your loved one, say goodbye, and reach family members before calling a funeral home.
In either case, do not move the body or disturb the area around it. With an unexpected death, law enforcement or a medical examiner may need to examine the scene.
When a Medical Examiner or Coroner Takes the Case
If the death was sudden, unwitnessed, or cannot be immediately explained by a known medical condition, a medical examiner or coroner will likely take jurisdiction. These officials investigate deaths outside routine medical care, including apparent suicides, drug-related deaths, unintentional injuries, and any death where the cause is unclear.1National Center for Biotechnology Information. Medicolegal Death Investigation System This is not an accusation that something criminal happened. It is a standard part of certifying how someone died.
The investigation can include examining the body at the scene, ordering toxicology, and in some cases an autopsy. Family members generally cannot decline an autopsy when the office determines one is needed. Release of the body to a funeral home can be delayed by several days, and families typically have no control over that timeline. The medical examiner’s findings become the official cause of death on the death certificate, which every institution handling the estate will eventually ask for.
Pronouncement of Death and the Donation Window
Before anything else can proceed legally, a qualified professional has to formally pronounce the person dead. In most situations that is a physician, though the specific rules vary by state. If paramedics responded, they may contact a physician for the pronouncement, or a medical examiner may pronounce death at the scene. For a hospice death, the hospice nurse or attending physician handles this step.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). U.S. Standard Certificate of Death
The pronouncement establishes the legal time of death and starts the clock on the death certificate. Have the deceased’s full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relevant medical history ready.
If your loved one was a registered organ or tissue donor, or the family wants to consider donation, decide quickly. Organ donation after a home death is rarely possible because organs need the continuous blood flow that hospital equipment maintains. Tissue donation (corneas, skin, bone, heart valves) can be initiated up to 24 hours after death. Contact your local organ procurement organization or call Donate Life’s referral line at 1-800-355-7427 as soon as possible. The funeral home can help coordinate.
Choosing a Funeral Home
Once death has been pronounced, you need a funeral home to transport and care for the body. If nothing was pre-arranged, this decision usually falls to whoever is managing things in the moment. You have more consumer protections here than most people realize.
The FTC Funeral Rule requires every funeral provider to give you a written General Price List before discussing any specific services or prices. That list is yours to keep. You have the right to buy only the individual items you want; funeral homes cannot force you into a bundled package.3Federal Trade Commission. The FTC Funeral Rule You can also bring in a casket or urn bought elsewhere, and the funeral home cannot charge a handling fee for it.4eCFR. 16 CFR Part 453 – Funeral Industry Practices Casket markups at funeral homes can be substantial, and third-party sellers often sell the same products for significantly less.
Order Certified Death Certificates
The death certificate is the single most important document in the weeks ahead. Without certified copies you cannot close bank accounts, file life insurance claims, transfer property titles, claim survivor benefits, or file a final tax return. Every institution you contact will want its own copy, and many will not return it.
The funeral director fills in the demographic information and files the certificate with the local vital records office or state health department. The certifying physician or medical examiner supplies the cause of death.2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). U.S. Standard Certificate of Death
Order at least 10 certified copies. The right number depends on how many financial accounts, insurance policies, and property titles the deceased held, because each institution typically requires its own. Ordering more later is slower and sometimes more expensive. Certified copies generally cost $5 to $30 each, with some states offering a reduced price on additional copies ordered at the same time as the first. You can order through the funeral home, the local vital records office, or an authorized online vendor.
Who to Notify
The notification list is longer than most people expect. Start with people: close family, friends, the deceased’s employer, any religious community. Then work through the institutions. You will need the deceased’s Social Security number and certified copies of the death certificate for most of them.
Government Agencies
The funeral director typically reports the death to the Social Security Administration, but if they do not, do this yourself as soon as possible. Any benefits the person was receiving will stop, and you must return any payment received for the month of death. Ask about survivor benefits on the same call.5USAGov. Agencies to Notify When Someone Dies
Other notifications include the state motor vehicles office (to cancel the license and transfer any vehicle titles), the IRS for the final tax return, the Department of State to cancel the passport, and any state programs such as Medicaid or SNAP. If the person was registered to vote, contact the local election office. For veterans, contact the VA to cancel benefits and ask about burial and survivor benefits.5USAGov. Agencies to Notify When Someone Dies
Banks, Credit Cards, and Credit Bureaus
Report the death to every bank, credit card company, brokerage, and lender where the deceased held an account. This freezes the accounts against unauthorized activity until the executor or administrator can take control.
Notifying the credit bureaus is one of the most overlooked steps, and skipping it invites identity theft. Criminals scan obituaries for recently deceased people whose credit files are still active. You only need to report the death to one of the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion); whichever you contact will notify the other two. You will need a certified death certificate and proof of your legal authority, such as letters testamentary from the probate court.
Benefits Survivors Can Claim
Several sources of money may be available to help cover funeral costs or support the family. None arrive automatically. You have to file for each one.
Social Security Lump-Sum Death Payment
Social Security pays a one-time $255 benefit to a surviving spouse, or to eligible children if there is no spouse. Eligible children include those under 18, those 18 to 19 and still in school full-time, or adult children who developed a disability at age 21 or younger. A spouse who lived separately may still qualify if they are entitled to benefits on the deceased’s record. You must apply within two years of the death.6Social Security Administration. Lump-Sum Death Payment
VA Burial Allowance
If the deceased was a veteran, the VA provides a burial allowance toward funeral and plot costs. For non-service-connected deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2025, the maximum reimbursement is $1,002 for burial expenses and an additional $1,002 for a plot or interment, if the veteran is not buried in a national cemetery.7U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Burial Allowance and Transportation Benefits Service-connected deaths carry substantially higher allowances. Apply through the VA once you have the death certificate and discharge papers.
Life Insurance
There is no legal deadline for filing a life insurance claim, so do not panic if you cannot locate a policy right away. Once filed, straightforward claims can pay out within a few days. You will typically need a completed claim form, a certified death certificate, and the original policy if available. If the death occurred during the policy’s contestability period (usually the first two years), expect the insurer to investigate before paying.
Check for policies the family may not know about. Many employers offer group life insurance as a workplace benefit, so contact the deceased’s HR department and review pay stubs for premium deductions. State unclaimed property databases are another place to search for forgotten policies.
Find the Will and Open Probate
Before anyone can distribute assets or pay debts, find the will. Check the obvious places first: a home safe, a filing cabinet, a folder of important documents. If the deceased used an attorney, that firm may have the original or a copy. Some states also allow wills to be filed with the local court for safekeeping during the person’s lifetime.
The person named as executor files a petition with the probate court in the county where the deceased lived. Many states set a deadline for filing the will with the court, often within 30 days of learning about the death, though the window varies. The court reviews the will, formally appoints the executor, and issues letters testamentary, the document that gives the executor legal authority to act for the estate.
If the person died without a will, the court appoints an administrator, generally following a priority order that starts with the surviving spouse, then children, then other close relatives. The administrator has the same basic duties: gather assets, pay debts, and distribute what remains under the state’s intestacy laws.
Every state has some simplified process for estates below a certain value. Small estate affidavits or summary procedures let heirs claim assets without going through full probate. Thresholds vary dramatically, from roughly $50,000 to over $150,000 depending on the state. If the assets were modest and did not include real estate, ask the probate court clerk whether the estate qualifies. This can save months of time and hundreds of dollars in fees.
Secure the Home and Handle Loose Ends
If the deceased lived alone, secure the property quickly. Lock the doors, set any alarm system, and consider asking a trusted person to stay there or check in regularly. Empty homes named in published obituaries are a target for burglary.
For mail, you can write “Deceased — Return to Sender” on incoming pieces and leave them for carrier pickup. To formally redirect mail to an executor or family member at a different address, visit a Post Office in person with documented proof of your legal authority, such as letters testamentary. A death certificate alone is not enough.8USPS. How to Stop or Forward Mail for the Deceased
Cancel subscriptions, memberships, and recurring payments on the deceased’s accounts. Arrange care for pets. If utilities are in the deceased’s name, call each provider to transfer the account or schedule a shutoff that gives the family time to sort through the property. These small tasks add up fast, and batching them over a few days is more manageable than trying to do everything at once.