The Shakespeare Hospice

What to do when someone dies

A practical and emotional guide for Bereaved Families

Introduction

The staff and volunteers at The Shakespeare Hospice would like to offer you our sympathy and condolences in your bereavement.

We generally expect that the death of a close family member or friend will be emotionally distressing. This is normal and natural. However, until we find ourselves responsible for making the funeral arrangements or helping someone with that responsibility, we often do not realise how many practical tasks there are to do when someone dies.

This booklet is designed to help you through the first few days and weeks of your bereavement by guiding you through the practical steps you will have to take, and to share information regarding grief and the services which are available to you. This guide gives you space to make notes as you make arrangements.

This booklet is produced with the help of the Bereavement Support Network, please call their free help line on 0808 168 9607 for any further information or advice you may need. If they don’t know the answer they will find out and call you back or tell you who to contact for what you need.

Their website is: www.bereavementsupport.co.uk You can also email them on stopmail@bereavementsupport.co.uk

Alternatively you can call The Shakespeare Hospice Family Support and Counselling Service on 01789 266852 or the Community Nursing Team 01789 299426 on email enquiries@theshakespearehospice.org.uk for support and advice.

What to do in the first five days

Following a death at home, your first contact may be to the Hospice at Home Team (between the hours of 8.30am-10pm) or District Nursing Team 8am-8pm. You can also contact your GP surgery between the hours of 9.00am to 5.00pm. Once the death has been confirmed, you can stay with your loved one until you are ready to call a Funeral Director of your choosing. They will take your loved one to the chapel of rest and guide you through the funeral process.

Once the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) has been completed, this will be sent directly to your local registry office, for you to contact and make any appointments to register the death.

Currently, this is done by telephone only (Please see Page 3 for contact details)

If the death is referred to the Coroner

In some cases, the doctor will need to report the death to a Coroner; for example if the cause of death is uncertain or sudden, or when there has been a fall. Whilst referrals are uncommon, they are not a cause for concern, but may delay the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) as it cannot be issued until the Coroner’s enquiries have been completed.

In a small number of cases there may be an inquest. This is an investigation into when, where and how the death occurred. The Coroner will be able to talk you through an inquest.

If you would like to talk to someone about a referral to the Coroner, staff at the Hospice can explain why the referral has been made and will explain the process to you.

Registering

Surname: Forenames:

Maiden name:

Any other previous names: (e.g. if a woman has been married before)

Any other names: (usually known as or not their formal name)

Date of birth:

Place of birth: (town and country in England and Wales or country if born overseas as the country is known now, not as it may have been at the time of birth, e.g. Bangladesh and not East Pakistan or India)

Place of death: Date of death:

Usual address:

Marital status: Occupation: (or former occupation if retired

Name/Address/Occupation of spouse or civil partner (if surviving) or name and occupation (if deceased)

National Insurance number:

National Insurance number of any surviving husband, wife or civil partner:

Information needed to register a death Documents from the Registrar:

1. Certified copies of The Death Certificate

The death registration is a permanent record and is retained by the registrar. You may purchase as many copies of this document as you want, as you will need these when banks and others ask to see an ‘original’ death certificate. The price varies as it is set by the local council but usually rises significantly if you need more. A rough guide would be to obtain one for each bank account, building society and shareholding of the deceased. If there is to be an inquest, the death is not registered until after the inquest – the Coroner will issue you with an Interim Certificate which you can use instead of certified copies.

Some local authorities offer a service which makes it easier to inform government departments of the death. “Tell Us Once” lets you report a death to most of the government organisations you need to tell in one go - you can use it online, over the phone or face-to-face.

2. Certificate of Registration/Notification of Death

This form is free and you need to complete the form on the back to notify the Department for Work and Pensions of the death if the person received a state pension or any other benefits. The registrar may give you an envelope to post the certificate or you can hand it in at a Jobcentre Plus office. You can obtain this form from the registrar even if the death cannot be registered yet. This form is sometimes referred to as ‘the BD8’.

3. Certificate for burial or cremation

This is free and is commonly referred to as ‘the green form’. It proves to the funeral director and the cemetery or crematorium authorities that a funeral may take place. The green form is replaced by a document from the Coroner if there will be an inquest or if the funeral will be a cremation following a Coroner’s post-mortem examination.

Tell the registrar if the funeral is to be overseas as the green form is not issued and other forms are needed.

Arranging a funeral

Most families choose to use a funeral director so this booklet is written with that in mind. If you would like help looking for a funeral director in your area, or you are considering making funeral arrangements without a funeral director, you can call The Bereavement Support Network for further information on 0808 168 9607.

You may want to check whether the person who died had a pre-paid funeral plan which will set out some or all of what they wanted, whether they had told family or friends what they wanted or had given instructions in their Will.

Often families want to see a funeral director as soon as possible. The next pages suggest some of the aspects of a funeral that you may want to think about with spaces for notes, though some decisions do not need to be made immediately.

The National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) and the National Society of Allied & Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) have good Codes of Practice and complaints procedures. You may want to check whether your funeral director belongs to one of these organisations. Your local council burial and cremation department will also be able to give you advice.

Contact and appointment details for funeral director:

The number of decisions to be made just for the funeral can seem daunting. Unless you have to arrange the funeral quickly you can take your time, talk with family members and close friends and ask as many questions of your funeral director as you need to.

Things to think about

Do you want to spend time with your loved one at the funeral director’s chapel of rest, or perhaps bring them home before the funeral? Is the coffin to be open or closed? This may affect decisions about preservative treatment (embalming) of the body.

What style of funeral is required – traditional religious, a civil funeral (which may include some religious elements) or a funeral with no religious content? Do you want a private burial or cremation followed by a thanksgiving/memorial event?

The major decision is whether to have a burial or cremation if this is not predetermined by your religion, culture, or the expressed wishes of the deceased. This will help you decide where the funeral is to take place.

Your answer to the question about the style of funeral will influence other content such as ideas about music and readings. You may also want to note here any specific anecdotes about the person that you would like included in any tribute (sometimes called the eulogy):

Do you want a funeral cortège (i.e. the hearse and any following cars) to leave from a family home or will people assemble at the place of the ceremony?

What type of coffin would you prefer? There is a huge range available from traditional solid wood, various materials such as banana leaf and wicker through to cardboard decorated with artwork using a picture or photo of your own choice.

Most funerals include a gathering of mourners after the ceremony with refreshments served. The venue might be your own home, a church hall, a pub or a more formal venue such as a hotel.

Think about your budget and how many people may attend to help with your decision. Legally most of the expenses connected with the funeral can be claimed from the money left by the deceased but a gathering of mourners is not considered an essential funeral cost.

At many funerals people often prefer to offer the opportunity to give donations to a charity of her choice instead of floral tributes.

If your loved one has requested that donations be made to The Shakespeare Hospice at their funeral, or you feel that this is what they would have wanted then we can help. Funeral donations are a simple and effective way to support The Shakespeare Hospice, whilst remembering and celebrating the life of your loved one. Your Funeral Directors can arrange this for you, or you can contact us on 01789 266852.

Often many families wish to celebrate the life of someone special and remember their loved one by giving something back to the Hospice. Details on ways in which you can do this, should you wish to, are given on page 30.

Many mourners appreciate guidance about what to wear. Traditionally this was always black but except for very formal funerals, grey, navy and other sombre colours are generally acceptable. Some families request that mourners wear a specific colour or theme.

If there will be mourners from faith/cultural traditions different from your own, they will especially appreciate guidance about cultural/ religion specific customs.

You can take time to decide on the design of a headstone for a grave (and also to save for it) or you may want to consider an alternative memorial such as a bench or tree. In the case of a headstone you will generally be advised to allow some months to pass before installation.

If you are arranging a cremation there are many choices available for what you do with the ashes (cremated remains). There are also a wide variety of style of containers (urns) that can be used to store the ashes while you make a decision. The ashes can be stored at the crematorium or funeral director’s premises as well as at home.

Paying for the funeral

A good funeral director will explain all the different charges and give you an itemised estimate. It is important not to sign a contract with the funeral director until you have considered how the funeral will be paid for. If you are asked to sign to confirm the arrangements you are entering a legal contract and agreeing to be responsible to ensure the funeral is paid for. The reason many funeral directors now require a deposit is because of the number of people who have arranged but not paid for funerals in the past.

The cost of the funeral has priority over most other debts on the estate and will be something any professional helping you with probate will be able to take care of (see page 12).

Provided there is sufficient money in an account belonging to the deceased a bank will usually write a cheque to the funeral director from that account if the bank is given the invoice. This is one of the reasons it is important to inform banks about the death as soon as possible in addition to helping prevent fraud.

If there is not enough money in the estate AND the person who is the most appropriate person to arrange the funeral (usually the nearest relative) is in receipt of a means-tested benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions, that person can apply to the Social Fund for a Funeral Payment Use form SF200 from a Jobcentre Plus to apply for a Funeral Payment (see page 19). This will make a significant contribution to the cost but not pay for everything. Please be honest with yourself and the funeral director about what can be afforded for the funeral, however hard it is to think about practical things like money at this time.

If there is no-one who is available to make the funeral arrangements or you are unable to get help with the costs by the means described above, please call The Bereavement Support Network on: 0808 168 9607 and they can explain what you need to do next.

Finding out about probate

If you already know that you do not need to apply for probate, please go straight to page 14. Call the Bereavement Support Network on 0808 168 9607 if you are not sure and they can help you decide if it will be necessary. The information there is a very brief introduction to a complex subject – if you call they can apply the information to your own circumstances.

The majority of people choose to use professional help to deal with the legal formalities required to administer an estate. There is far more involved in this process than just filling in one or two forms and obtaining the grant of probate (see below). You have a choice of professional service types. As with all professional chargeable services (but in this case the fees are deducted from the estate) do ask as many questions as you need to about price structures and how the service will be provided.

A grant of probate is a court order that allows the executor of a will or their professional representative to deal with the property and financial affairs of the deceased. However, when most people use the word ‘probate’ they mean the whole process of discovering what someone has left, going through the legal process of gaining authority to deal with it (whether there is a will or not), paying off any debts and finally distributing the remainder to the people entitled to receive it. This is the administration of the estate, which can take several months and up to a year or more depending on the complexity and whether a property is involved.

Whether you need probate depends on the value of the estate and the nature of the assets. An asset holder (e.g. a bank) can insist that a grant be obtained for any amount over £5,000 although many have a higher threshold. They are not being difficult – this is the procedure laid down in law to ensure the wishes of the deceased are carried out, creditors are paid and that the people named as beneficiaries do receive their entitlement.

There are choices available to you if you are asked by a bank or other asset holder for probate. Remember it is the executor who must formally make the decision how to do this or the nearest relative if there is no will.

The Bereavement Support Network is provided by a company called Simplify who are experts in probate and estate administration when probate is not a requirement. Do call the Bereavement Support Network on 0808 168 9607 to find out if you will need to apply for probate and more about all the choices you have to carry this out.

Banks can carry out probate but often only do this for existing customers who have appointed the bank as executor.

It is possible to deal with probate yourself although we would only recommend this if the estate is simple or you have relevant experience.

Who needs to be informed about the death?

Picking up the telephone to tell close family or complete strangers such as an employer about the death is usually difficult. You may want to ask people you trust to let their branch of the family know or a friend to let other members of their social network know.

Once you know when the funeral is, keep the details by the phone so anyone can answer and give this information.

For someone who is working or recently retired, a manager or colleague will know who it would be appropriate to inform in the workplace.

Social networking sites, such as Facebook, may be the equivalent of an address book, but with far more entries. Otherwise an address book, or contacts on a computer or mobile phone will be very helpful.

You will probably want to make a separate list of family and personal friends to be contacted but we have made some suggestions here of other people to be notified. It is always a good idea to keep a note of who you spoke to and the date and time of the call.

You may find it helpful to develop a filing system to keep the paperwork in order. Banks etc should be contacted quickly to secure the estate and prevent fraud and also the Department for Work and Pensions agencies to avoid accidental overpayment of benefits which will later have to be repaid to the government. Take copies of important documents and if you post any documents, make a note of when you sent them.

Organisations you may need to contact

If you are using a professional for probate they will contact many of these organisations for you – see a P symbol next to the relevant rows. Other organisations may be notified through the Local Authority if they offer this service – see the L symbol throughout this table.

Organisation

Adult social services (including day care/home care) L

Bank 1 P Bank 2 P

Bank 3 P

Blue badge / concessionary travel pass L

Buildings Insurance P Cable / satellite service P

Car Insurance P

Child Support Agency L

Child tax credit / working tax credit / child benefit P L

Club memberships

Organisation

Phone number Date / time Spoke to or posted info

Council children’s services L

Council Housing office P

Council tax P L

Council tax benefit P L

Credit / store card P

Credit / store card P

Credit / store card P

Dentist Doctor

DVLA P L

DWP: State pensions, pension credit, attendance allowance, DLA, carer’s allowance, incapacity benefit, income support, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance P L

Electoral registration office L

Electricity provider P

Employer or private pensions provider P

Facebook, Twitter

Organisation

Friendly Societies P

Gas provider P

Home contents Insurance P

Hospital(s) Housing benefit P L

Identity and Passport Service P L

Internet service provider P

Landlord/Housing Association L

Library L

Magazine subscriptions

Mail order catalogues

Mail suppression service

Mobile phone P

Mortgage Provider P

Other money, e.g. national savings / premium bonds/loans / hire purchase agreement P

Podiatrist

Organisation

Phone number Date / time Spoke to or posted info

Prison / Probation / Court Service

Private care

Return of medical equipment

Royal Mail redirection School or college

Tax office P

Telephone line provider P

Trade union professional association

Travel agent/airline

Travel/holiday Insurance P

UK Border Agency

Water drainage provider P

Finding out about benefits

People can be on benefits for a variety of reasons and a change of circumstances, especially the death of a partner, can affect your own entitlement. After a death, income may fall if a work pension is lost. Or it may fall at first and then rise due to an inheritance which may take you over the threshold for some benefits or mean you have to pay tax.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has a Bereavement Service to make it much simpler for bereaved people to notify them of a death. At the same time the eligibility for benefits of the immediate next-of-kin can be checked.

Applications for Bereavement Benefits (see below) and the Social Fund Funeral Payment (see page 11) can be made on the telephone immediately. If you are not using a professional to deal with probate for you we recommend you call the Bereavement Service as soon as possible to avoid any over-payment of benefits which would then have to be repaid from the estate to the government. Call the DWP on 0800 731 0469. Alternatively, the text phone number is 0800 731 0464.

The benefits designed specifically for bereaved people are:

• Bereavement Benefit & Bereavement Allowance, claimed using Form BB1 and only available to surviving spouses or civil partners, usually under state retirement age.

• Widowed Parents Allowance, also claimed on Form BB1 and replaces Bereavement Allowance when a parent has children still in education or younger.

• Guardians’ Allowance, claimed from the tax office.

Grief and common reactions to loss

Grief is a normal reaction to loss for both adults and children. It is an individual experience which affects us all in different ways: emotionally, physically, socially, and in many practical areas of life.

There is no right or wrong way to be following bereavement.

Would it surprise you that all these reactions are normal and healthy symptoms of grief?

Hyperactive Relief

Irritability

Vulnerability Over sensitive Dependant

Avoiding people Constantly tired

Angry Forgetfulness

Lack of initiative

Slowed thinking

Crying Dreams of your loved one Wandering aimlessly Sobbing Unable to cry Tight chest & throat

However, singularly or in combination, they can feel overwhelming. And it’s OK to express these feelings; it can sometimes help to talk to people: a friend, neighbour, GP or health professional.

Emotionally

The range of emotions felt following a bereavement are vast. Some of the more common ones are: Guilt, Anger, Relief, Despair, Apathy, Loneliness. Some people feel too numb to experience any other emotion for a while.

Physically

You may notice changes in sleeping patterns and appetite. Some people feel panicky and restless. Others feel exhausted, especially if you had been providing care. Your immune system could be low and you may be prone to infections.

Spiritually

If you have spiritual or religious beliefs, they can be of comfort and a very important source of support. If you’ve never explored these possibilities before you may now decide you’d like to. Unfortunately, bereavement may also make you question your faith.

Socially and financially

Bereavement can sometimes set you apart from friends, relatives and neighbours at a time when you think you should be able to cope because you have their support. But no-one can replace the person who has died, and you can feel isolated and alone in your grief. You may experience difficulties with managing or sorting out finances and dealing with other practical issues.

Looking after yourself

Listed below are some techniques that have been helpful to some of our clients in the past. You may find something that is helpful for you:

• It’s OK to express feelings.

• It’s OK not to cry.

• It’s important to make time to rest, think and sleep, as well as having time with family and friends.

• Try to avoid major decisions if you can. Go at your own pace.

• Try to let children share your grief and encourage them to express their feelings, maybe by talking, reading books, drawing or playing.

• Be gentle with yourself. If you are having a bad day, muddle through, tomorrow is a new day.

• Be patient with yourself, try not to compare yourself to others.

• If you are hurting, admit it and go with the pain.

• Ask for help, accept help.

• Keep to a routine to help you get through the day; this is especially useful for children.

• Introduce pleasant change in your life.

• Schedule activities to get you through the worst times (weekends, anniversaries, special days that you shared). Accept your feelings as normal.

• Find different ways of expressing your feelings, maybe by exercising, listening to or playing music.

• Write your feelings or thoughts in a journal.

• Eat regularly.

• Ask questions about what happened, it may help to have the facts.

• Remind yourself that you’re not going crazy. Your sleeping, eating, thinking, remembering, concentration and motivation will be up and down.

• Keep something that belongs to the person and start a memory box.

• Laugh and have fun without feeling guilty or bad about it.

The Shakespeare family support and bereavement services

Bereavement affects families and individuals in different ways. Many people will manage their own grief with the help and support of family and friends. Others may find it beneficial to seek help outside of these circles, to talk about feelings and what has happened to them with someone they have never met. Often people cope very differently, which can lead to feelings of isolation, and not everyone will have family or friends to support them. The way to understand grief is to try and understand the person who is experiencing it, and the relationship he or she had with the person who has died.

The Shakespeare Family Support and Counselling Department consists of a dedicated team of professionals and trained support volunteers, who offer bereavement support which caters for both adults and children.

For more information please see our website: www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk

If you or a member of your family feel you would like to talk to someone about these services or any aspect of bereavement support, please contact us on 01789 266852 or email us at enquiries@theshakespearehospicehospice.org.uk.

How children and adolescents grieve

Adults can be very concerned about the impact of bereavement on a child in the family.

Grief is a normal, natural and healthy response to loss for people of all ages and cultures, as we seek to make sense of what has happened, what this means to us and how we are feeling.

Like adults, children and adolescents will vary greatly in the ways they experience and express their grief. Every family and each individual member will grieve in their own unique way.

How to respond

Our experience and feedback from children and adolescents suggests that the following ways of responding can be helpful to them:

• It’s OK for you and your children to feel sad, angry, confused, empty, guilty, anxious and many other emotions—and it’s OK if you don’t. But be ready to share feelings with your children. Trying to hide them can cause a child to feel confused and isolated.

• Be ready to listen. Children can suffer irrational fears and guilt, believing that they have done something to cause the death.

• Be ready to acknowledge what is being said without giving advice.

• Be ready to explain and answer questions honestly and clearly. You may have to do this over and over again, if necessary in words suitable for the child’s age.

• Give children choices and be prepared for them to change their mind. They may be very confused about what is the right thing to do, give them time to change their mind about decisions they have made.

• Be prepared to admit you don’t know all the answers.

• Avoid giving incorrect information, half-truths or euphemisms, for example, ‘He/she has gone to sleep’ - use ‘dead,’ ‘death,’ ‘died.’

• Be aware that children may grieve in ways that are unexpected and baffling. A child who seems to be coping may suddenly become clingy, demanding, angry or aggressive. Bad behaviour may be a sign of distress, rather than naughtiness.

• Be ready to involve children and adolescents in planning and attending funeral ceremonies but ensure that they know what to expect and have support.

• Be ready to include children and adolescents in decisions, for example, where the ashes are to be scattered or the wording on the headstone.

• Be ready to offer lots of reassurance. Children and adolescents need to know that they are still loved and cared for through this difficult time.

• Be ready to keep the memory of the person alive by talking about them, looking at photographs of the person who has died, making a Memory Box and so on.

• Where possible try to maintain a normal routine while grieving, encouraging the child or adolescent to engage in normal and familiar activities.

Children will often be afraid that someone else is going to die. Try to recognise this feeling and put the fear into proportion.

Older children will realise that they too will die one day and may feel frightened and anxious or even indulge in reckless behaviour.

Children can lose themselves in play or activities more easily than adults. This does not mean that they have forgotten. Children need to play and have fun and enjoy life.

When a family member dies, not only do children and adolescents have to cope with the loss of the person and their special relationship, they often experience secondary losses which may occur some time after the death, for example, loss of money, home, school.

A death may bring other changes in a child or adolescent’s life, for example, in their relationships with family and friends.

Schools need to be informed of the death of a significant person in the life of a child or adolescent as soon as possible.

Schools need to be informed of significant dates or anniversaries surrounding the death so they are aware if any changes of behaviour or concentration occur in a child or adolescent and the reason why.

Social Media

Your relative or friend may have one or more social media accounts, for example Facebook or Twitter. You may not be sure what you want to do with these accounts.

Some people want to close them, while others want to convert them into a memorialised account. There’s no hurry to do either. Take your time, talk through the options with friends and family. You can find information on closing or converting to memorialised accounts on most social media websites.

You and/or your bereaved child/adolescent may find the following websites helpful:

Useful websites

The Shakespeare Hospice www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk

Winston’s Wish for grieving children and their families www.winstonswish.org

Tel: 08088 020 021

Cruse for bereaved adults www.cruse.org.uk

Tel: Free on 0808 808 1677

Cruse for bereaved young people www.hopeagain.org.uk

Tel: Free 0808 808 1677

Way, Widowed & Young www.widowedandyoung.org.uk

Child Bereavement UK www.childbereavementuk.org

Tel: 0800 028 8840

Grief Encounter www.griefencounter.org.uk

Tel: 0808 802 0111

BRAKE (Road Safety Charity) www.brake.org.uk

Tel: 0808 8000 401

SOBS (Survivor of Bereavement by Suicide) uksobs.org

Tel: 0300 111 5065

Other Children’s Services

Beyond the Horizon

www.beyondthehorizon.org.uk

Tel: 0121 444 5454

Sunrise/Edwards Trust www.edwardstrust.org.uk

Samaritans www.samaritans.org

Freephone 116 123 Available 24 hours every day. A confidential emotional support service for anyone experiencing feelings of distress or despair for any reason, including those which could lead to suicide.

Child Death Helpline

www.childdeathhelpline.org.uk

0800 282 986 (freephone helpline)

Open every evening of the year 7.00pm – 10.00pm and various times during the day. A helpline for anyone of any age affected by the death of a child (from pregnancy to adulthood) in any circumstances. All calls are answered by parents who have experienced bereavement.

Government www.gov.uk

Public services all in one place – this website has lots of information and links to lots of other sites that you will find useful, including local authorities and the “Tell us Once” registration service.

NHS Choices www.nhs.uk

Information about local health services and lots of medical//health advice and information about a huge variety of conditions and much more.

Citizens Advice

www.adviceguide.org.uk

This website has an excellent range of information on a very wide range of issues.

Help with Bereavement www.bereavementsupport.co.uk 0808 168 9607

For help with the legal and practical side of bereavement, including probate.

Stop Mail

Helping you to prevent unwanted junk mail addressed to your loved one. www.stopmail.co.uk 0808 168 9607

There are many other organisations that provide a variety of practical information and/or emotional support after bereavement – far too many to list here so please give them a call, they can find the contact details that are most appropriate to your individual circumstances.

Creating a lasting legacy

If a loved one of yours was cared for by The Shakespeare Hospice, you may feel you would like to honour their memory and give something back to the Hospice. We are here to support you in whatever way you would like to do this. One way you can is by requesting donations in lieu of flowers from those attending your loved one’s funeral.

For some people there is a need to actively do something positive to remember their loved ones. We have two special events during the year where we celebrate the lives of those so special to us, and remember the many wonderful memories we have.

In April and September The Shakespeare Hospice invites you to remember and celebrate the lives of your loved one. Later in the year we remember our loved ones with Light up a Life, which offers you the chance to remember those who are so special, by dedicating a light on one of our Light Up a Life Christmas Trees and writing a message for the Book of Memories. You will also have the opportunity to see the lights being switched on at one of the special services taking place in December, and view your message in the Book of Memories.

Your gifts and donations will help us to support others whilst remembering and celebrating the life of your loved one.

If you would like further information please contact the Fundraising Team on 01789 266852 or visit our website www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk

Without the generous support we receive we would not be able to provide the dedicated care which means so much to so many people.

Comments

We’re always pleased to receive suggestions (including any complaints) from you and your family, as these may help us to improve our services. You may speak with any member of staff looking after you about any aspect of your support. We also welcome comments about this leaflet.

We are always looking to improve our services. If you would like to make a comment or complaint about the service you have received, please contact the or Head of Clinical Services on 01789 266852 or email enquiries@ .org.uk

Service quality

The quality of the services we offer is reviewed regularly, and we welcome your views, please ask a member of staff for details.

Regulation of the hospice

Although The Shakespeare Hospice is an independent charity, we are regulated by the Care Quality Commission, which inspects the Hospice on a regular basis to ensure we are following high standards of care. You are welcome to send comments (good or bad) to:

Care Quality Commission National Correspondence Citygate Gallowgate

Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 4PA

Telephone: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk

Data protection

Although we are independent of the NHS and social care services, there are occasions when we are required to exchange information about you with them. For example, each NHS Clinical Commissioning Group contributes to the cost of care for patients from its area and needs to know how many of their residents are receiving care. Similarly, if you need extra care at home, we have to liaise with social care services. Any information is treated in the strictest of confidence, on a need to know basis only, and the greatest of care is taken to protect your personal details.

The Shakespeare Hospice Bereavement Booklet

Publication date: October 2022 Review date: October 2024

The Hospice would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from local services o ering their help at this time.

Whilst the Hospice is grateful of their support it does not endorse or recommend any of the services that they provide.

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stopping mail

STOPPING JUNK MAIL

It is distressing to deal with a bereavement and unsolicited mail can be insensitive and destructive during a grieving process.

By scanning the below QR code on your phone or visiting www.stopmail.co.uk, we are able to securely share this information with mailing organisations and under the Data Protection Act the information will not be used for any other purpose.

Other benefits reduce the possibility of identity fraud, such as assumed identity and you will only have to supply the information once.