What to do next

If death occurs at home, your first call should be to the doctor who should either, attend to confirm death or if a nurse or other qualified person is in attendance, give their permission for the body to be removed to the funeral directors premises. You may then call your funeral director who will help you through the various procedures.
If death occurs in a nursing or residential home the staff  will normally contact your funeral director on your behalf.
If death occurs in a hospital, medical staff will normally be on hand to confirm death. In this case there is little we can do out of office hours but, if it would help you to speak to a funeral director you are welcome to call us at any time.

If the coroner is involved

If death is unexpected or unnatural the coroner will order a post mortem examination and may require an inquest depending on the circumstances. This should not worry you in any way, it will not normally delay the funeral and your funeral director will be able to explain the procedure to you.

Pre-Need arrangements

No it is not morbid to think about funeral arrangements for someone who is still alive. "I don't know what mum or dad would have wanted" is a phrase all too familiar to funeral directors. It is a lot easier for you to talk about these matters while you mind is clear rather than during time of grief.