What Happens if a Loved One Passes Away in a Care Home?
This article gives a general overview of what happens if a loved one passes away while staying at a care home, from the immediate steps our staff take through to guidance on registering the death and arranging a funeral, if you need it.
There’s also a look at how Baxendale Care Home supports families, and other residents, with compassion and understanding during what is always an incredibly difficult time.
This article is a four-minute read.
Losing a loved one is never easy, but having supporting people on your side and knowing what happens next can help make an incredibly difficult time feel a little less overwhelming. Here we explain the usual procedures we follow at Baxendale, from the first hours through to the funeral, so you know what to expect. We also explain how our team will support you and care for your loved one with dignity and compassion throughout.
Baxendale Care Home – a care home in Barnet
At Baxendale, a care home in the Barnet area of North London, we offer long- and short-term residential care, respite stays and specialist dementia care. As a 24-hour retirement home in Whetstone, with staff on hand across three eight-hour shifts, we handle a resident’s passing with the same compassion and dignity we bring to every other aspect of their care.
Confirming the Death and the Medical Certificate
If a resident passes away while in our care, a doctor will first confirm that the death has occurred. A doctor is then asked to examine them and complete a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). Most deaths, if expected, that are not referred to a coroner are also independently reviewed by a medical examiner – a senior doctor who wasn’t involved in your loved one’s care – who will usually contact you to talk before the death can be registered.
Contacting You and Caring for Your Loved One
One of the first things our staff will do is contact the next of kin. We also make sure your loved one continues to be cared for with dignity – cleaned, dressed and in keeping with any personal, cultural or religious wishes we’re aware of. In most cases, residents will have a care plan which incorporates their wishes in the event of their death as well as funeral plans.
Where a resident is approaching the end of their life, their care may involve support from the palliative care team at North London Hospice, their GP and the district nursing team. Residents can express a preference for where they would like to receive end-of-life care, whether at Baxendale, in a hospice or in hospital. An advance care plan will help guide their care, taking into account their care, comfort, and pain management.
Belongings and the Funeral Director
Our staff will take care of your loved one’s belongings, so everything is safely accounted for and ready for you to collect when you feel able to. Families are responsible for contacting a funeral director, who will collect your loved one and take the arrangements from there.
Registering the Death
Once the MCCD has been sent to the register office, the death must usually be registered within five days at the register office. Appointments are booked by phone, with registration itself carried out in person. The registrar will provide the certificate needed for the funeral to go ahead, and death certificates can be ordered at the same time or afterwards online.
Supporting You (and Other Loved Ones)
Losing a loved one is an incredibly difficult and emotional time, and we understand that families may need different kinds of support in the days and weeks that follow. Our team will be there to offer compassion, guidance and a listening ear while giving you the privacy and space you need to grieve.
We’ll do everything we can to help you make the practical steps following your loved one’s death feel as clear and manageable as possible, and can also point you towards additional bereavement support from organisations such as Age UK or Cruse Bereavement Support if and when you feel it may be helpful.
Your loved one will often have formed close bonds with our staff and fellow residents during their time with us, and their loss can be deeply felt across the home too. We gently keep those who knew them informed and also make sure support is there for anyone who may need it.
Contacting Baxendale Care Home
If you have any questions about what to expect, either now or in the future, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Complete the online form, call us on 020 8445 1127, or email us at info@baxendalecare.org.uk.
Q: What happens if the death is unexpected or needs to be looked into further?
A: The death is referred to a coroner rather than a medical examiner, who may order a post-mortem to establish the cause of death. This doesn’t mean anything untoward has happened, though you may need to wait a little longer before the funeral can be arranged.
Q: Is there support for family members, or for other residents who were close to the deceased person?
A: Yes. Our staff are always on hand for a conversation, and we can point you towards specialist bereavement charities. We’re also mindful of other residents at this time, and support them with sensitivity.