Whenever a death occurs, it is important to notify the funeral home as soon as possible, so that the funeral director can take immediate steps to arrange a convenient time to meet with you and make all the necessary arrangements. Unfortunately, many people often assume that health care professionals will contact the funeral home, but this is not the case. After the initial call, we will contact the person in charge of the funeral arrangements to arrange a time to meet.

If a death should occur outside your home community or outside the Province, be sure to call or have someone else call Belvedere Home Funeral Home, and we will begin making all the necessary arrangements on your behalf.

Whenever a death occurs, there are certain tasks that need to be handled quickly and efficiently. To assist us in providing the highest quality service we can offer, the following information should be provided to us in the initial call:

• Name and phone number of the person calling
• The name of the deceased
• A contact number for the place of death
• The deceased's Doctor's name
• The name and phone number for the person responsible for making arrangements.
• The person in charge of the funeral arrangements should have the following information available at the first meeting with Belvedere Funeral Home's Funeral Director:
• The Deceased's full name, including the Deceased's maiden name, if female
• The Deceased's last known mailing address
• The Deceased's birth date
• The Deceased's birth place
• The Deceased's occupation
• A list of the Deceased's Next of Kin and their mailing address
• Marital Status (and, if married, name of the Deceased's partner)
• The Deceased's SIN or HN
• The Deceased's Father's name
• Father's birth place
• Mother's maiden name
• Mother's birth Place
• Name of clergy (the funeral director will contact the clergy)
• Details for visitation
• Designation of memorial donations
• Location of funeral service
• Special music - hymns, soloist, etc.
• Honorary pallbearers (if desired)
• Pallbearers
• Flowerbearers (if desired)
• Name of attending physician
• Names of family members you wish to place in the death notice - we will write it.
• Any special prayer services or fraternities.

ITEMS REQUIRED IF THERE IS A VIEWING:

• Recent picture
• Full set of clothing including undergarments (shoes not necessary)
• Glasses
• Dentures
• Jewelry
• Symbols (religious or otherwise)

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:

Immediate:

• Contact immediate family and close friends
• Notify employer and business associates
• Locate the will and notify the lawyer and executor
• Arrange for someone to answer the door and the telephone - record messages
• Arrange for child care, if necessary
• Make any necessary arrangements for visiting relatives and friends

Later:

• Contact all applicable Life Insurance Companies
• Apply for any death benefits including Canada Pension Death Benefit and Survivor's Benefit (see Resources on this website)
• Notify bank and any other applicable financial institutions
• Notify landlord, utility companies and post office.

If your loved one passes away while under the care of a facility — such as a nursing home or a hospital — staff from the facility will contact you and notify appropriate authorities themselves.

If the death occurred in the workplace or at home, you will need to get in touch with his/her physician or emergency medical personnel, as the cause of death must be identified and indicated in legal documents.

In the event that no one was present at the time of death, you will need to contact the police before moving the deceased to another location.

Our caring funeral director can assist you with your funeral arrangements. We will collect information from you in order to facilitate the transfer of your loved one’s remains to our facility. You would also be asked if the deceased has made pre-arrangements and whether or not you’d like for him/her to be embalmed. While of course you can ask any questions you have in your mind during this call, note that once you visit the funeral home, we can discuss the arrangements in greater detail.

During this call, you’ll also be informed about the things that you need to bring with you like the clothes your deceased loved one will use for the burial. Feel free to call us whenever you feel the need to. Remember that we are here to listen to you, help you, and guide you during this difficult and trying time.

On your first meeting with us, we will discuss the arrangements for your loved one’s burial. You will be shown a list of our packages/services so you can decide what suits your family’s preferences and budget. You will be asked whether you’d prefer burial or cremation arrangements and optionally you would select a casket, schedule a time and date for the services, decide on the location of the burial, draft an obituary notice, arrange for vehicle services, and select pallbearers.

We would also use this opportunity to inquire about your loved one for us to have a better understanding of the person the services will honor. It will be extremely helpful if you can bring some memorabilia — photos, videos, treasured items, letters — that would give us a clearer picture on how you envision paying tribute to your loved one.

A death certificate is a legal document indicating the cause of death, including other vital statistics pertaining to the deceased, signed by the attending physician. In case your loved one died due to an accident, a coroner or the county medical examiner may prepare the form. If you feel that you need assistance in filing for this legal document with the state, we can help you. Certified copies of the death certificate can also be purchased at the same time. These certified copies are important when gaining access to bank accounts and safety deposit boxes, claiming for benefits due to the family (like the Veteran’s benefits or insurance claims), and transferring or selling ownership of properties.