Volume 46 - No. 43
November 3, 2016
by lyle e davis
Chances are that sometime within the next 12 months someone you know will die. It could even happen within your own household. It’s a fact of life - particularly those of us who are in our “middle earlies.” Colleagues die, family members, both close family members as well as distant family members, neighbors, workmates, friends and acquaintences - someone we know will die within the next 12 months.
Do you know what to do if/when that time comes? And if that event occurs within your household . . . or with family members? Most of us probably are not prepared.
We talked with a number of North County Funeral Directors to learn what you need to know. With information we gathered from them, we try to help you deal with probably the most difficult task(s) you may be required to address. Generally, all mortuaries agreed as to steps to take and procedures to follow:
From Linda Allen, President of Allen Brothers Mortuary, with chapels in San Marcos and Vista:
“If the death is an unexpected death, call the paramedics, sheriff's department, or police department . . . for investigation. If expected, call your hospice representative, or call the mortuary directly.
The Medical Examiner does not get involved unless there is a suspicious death, accidental, homicide, or suicide. Once you have contacted the mortuary of your choice they will obtain preliminary information from the family, often prior to coming to the house. The information they will need will include the address of where the person died, his or her name, time of death or time decedent was found. If the person passed away during the night then you will want to register the time the body was found.
The mortuary will want to know the The Paper - 760.747.7119
website:www.thecommunitypaper.com
email: thepaper@cox.net
name of decedent’s doctor, next of kin, type of burial service, traditional? Cremation? Will the family want viewing arranged? Will embalming be needed? Embalming in California is not legally required. Some states require, CA. does not.”
laws - regarding autopsy. If physical evidence shows probable cause of death, the autopsy can be waived.
“When the Medical Examiner is called - and if the decedent was young and healthy, the Medical Examiner will pick them up and take for an autopsy; if under a doctor's care and there is a lot of history, the Medical Examiner will check health records and talk to the doctor and may waive autopsy and release the body; if taken to the Medical Examiner’s office the family should call their mortuary and the mortuary will arrange for pickup. Every state has different
In addition to Linda Allen and Megan Comer, we spoke with Richard Jungas, owner of California Funeral Alternatives, serving Escondido and Poway, with Sandra Pena, McLeod Mortuary, Escondido, with Isabel Velaree, El Camino Memorial, Encinitas.
Megan Comer, of AlhiserComer Mortuary, Escondido, generally agrees and adds:
Obituaries Memorials Area Services Page 12
If decedent is on hospice or has a doctor, then call hospice first; they contact mortuary - hospice would pronounce. You may call the mortuary, who will pick up decedent, call the doctor and get cause of death and/or sign death certificate.
When planning for disposition of the decedent the family
needs to decide whether they want a traditional funeral or cremation.
Richard Jungas, California Funeral Alternatives: “The trend is toward cremation. We do both traditional funerals and cremations but cremations represent 85% of our service; in the county cremations represent 70%; at the state level we are seeing 65%; nationwide the figure is at about 50%. It’s a definite upward trend. 15-20 years ago cremations represented about 20% of dispositions. The trend is nationwide; we see about an 80% rate of cremaions in Washington state and Oregon, about 60% throughout all of California. What many people are not aware of is the differing religious and cultural traditions that are observed at funerals.
And If I Die Before I Wake . . . Continued on Page 2