Bereavement Support If Your Loved One Dies at Home

If Your Loved One Dies at Home Without Hospice Care

1. Call 911 – An ambulance and/or police will respond, usually with sirens.
2. CPR will be started upon arrival, unless your loved one has an out-of-hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order.
   • If your loved one has an out-of-hospital DNR, you can choose to use the form to prevent resuscitation. If you wish to do so, simply show the form to the emergency staff when they arrive.
3. Your loved one will be transported to the emergency room to be officially pronounced deceased by a doctor.
4. Depending on the circumstances, an autopsy may be required.

If Your Loved One Dies at Home While Enrolled in Hospice Care

1. Call the hospice nurse if they are not already at your home.
2. The hospice staff will come to your home to pronounce your loved one deceased.
3. Memory-making activities (such as handprints, fingerprints, or saving a lock of hair) may be available. Ask your hospice about available memory making activities.
4. The family may spend as much time as needed with their loved one.
5. In Texas, if a child is younger than 6 years old, the medical examiner, Justice of the Peace, or Sheriff must be notified. If the child is over 6 years old, no notification is needed.
6. If the medical examiner, Justice of the Peace, or Sheriff releases the body, hospice staff will help provide any care for your loved one after death, including bathing or removing any tubes or lines if desired.
7. A family member and hospice staff will safely dispose of any remaining medication.
8. When ready, hospice staff will call the funeral home to pick up your loved one from your home.