Isle of Man Bereavement Booklet DO NOT USE

Bereavement Book Information for Bereaved Relatives

Isle of Man Bereavement Book

For you in your loss

Dear relative, carer or friend. The Manx Care team would like to express our sympathy to you and your family at this difficult time.

The first week of bereavement can be a time of grief and sorrow but it is also a period in which a number of matters must be dealt with.

We hope this booklet will help guide you at this difficult time.

Contents What do I do next?

1

For deaths occurring at home or a care home

1

For deaths occurring in Noble’s Hospital

2

For deaths occurring in Ramsey District Cottage Hospital 3 Can I visit my relative?

4

The Multi-faith Chaplaincy Team

5

The Coroner, sudden deaths and post-mortems

6

How do I register the death?

9

Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased

13

Funeral arrangements

14

Other practical matters

18

What is bereavement?

22

Living with grief

23

Talking with children

24

Useful contacts and websites

25

Closing social media accounts

28

Notes

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What do I do next – for deaths occurring at home or a care home in the Isle of Man? When an expected death occurs at home or care home, the GP Surgery that has been treating the deceased should be contacted, followed by a Funeral Director of your choice (they are available 24 hours a day every day of the year) and your faith leader (if required). It would be helpful to indicate whether arrangements are to be for cremation or burial.

If the expected death occurs outside normal GP surgery hours, contact Manx Emergency Doctor Service (MEDS) direct on: 01624 650355 MEDS opening times: Monday - Friday 6pm to 8am Weekends 24 hour cover Public Holidays 24 hour cover The MEDS telephone number is on the answer machine at each GP practice.

Some nursing homes have a senior nurse who can verify a person’s death. If the Hospice at Home service is providing care at the end of life, their senior nurses may also verify the death.

For expected deaths, the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death will need to be completed by the patient’s own GP the next working day.

The GP practice will liaise with you or your appointed funeral director as to when a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death is available for collection. You will then be advised to make an appointment with the Registrars to register the death (see pages 9, 10, 11 and 12).

1

What do I do next - for deaths occurring in Noble’s Hospital?

Please telephone the Relatives Support Office: 01624 650615 Please phone between 9.00am - 4.00pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

Noble’s Hospital Relatives Support Office is located within the Scholl Day Centre of the Hospice Building. It would be helpful to indicate whether funeral arrangements are to be for cremation or burial.

A Relatives Support Officer will contact you when the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is available for collection. At which point you will be advised to make an appointment with the Registrars (see pages 9, 10, 11 and 12).

In the event of the Coroner being involved including any death that occurs outside the hospital, the Coroner’s Officer will contact you about the necessary documentation.

The Forget-Me-Not Suite The suite is situated in the maternity unit. It is a quiet safe space away from the busy ward for families to use when their babies pass away. The suite is used for birth and also the family to spend as much time with the baby born asleep as they wish too. There is a separate entrance to the suite for family members to use.

A special team of midwives called the forget-me-not bereavement team are available to look after the families and will follow the family home and offer support in the postnatal period. They also offer support for the next pregnancy in the form of a rainbow appointment.

Telephone the Forget-Me-Not Suite: 01624 650030 2

What do I do next - for deaths occurring in Ramsey District Cottage Hospital?

Please telephone Martin Ward directly on 01624 811960 Ramsey District Cottage Hospital: 01624 811811 It would be helpful to indicate whether funeral arrangements are to be for cremation or burial.

The Ward Staff will contact you when a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is available for collection. At which point you will be advised to make an appointment with the Registrars (see pages 9, 10, 11 and 12).

In the event of the Coroner being involved including any death that occurs outside the hospital, the Coroner’s Officer will contact you about the necessary documentation.

3

Can I visit my relative?

The Funeral Director will arrange to collect the person from the home address, nursing home or hospital and relatives and friends may generally see the patient at the Funeral Director’s Chapel of Rest. Should you wish to visit the Chapel of Rest please telephone the Funeral Director to confirm opening times and make an appointment.

Noble’s Hospital If you wish to visit your friend or relative whilst they are still at Noble’s Mortuary please call the ward/department the patient was last treated. Most viewing appointments are arranged for between Monday to Friday 9.30am - 4.00pm. If the Mortuary Department cannot facilitate the time requested an alternative appointment will be offered. Outside of these hours we might be able to arrange an out-of-hours viewing.

Initial appointments for Coroners patients will be arranged via the Coroners Officer.

Our Family Facility at Noble’s Hospital can accommodate appointments for younger patients and babies. If you wish to use ‘The Rainbow Room’ in Rebecca House at the Hospice please let the Ward Staff and/or Relatives Support Staff know.

This is a special bedroom where the baby/young person can remain until the day of the funeral. There are facilities for family to stay during this time if they wish and Rebecca House will be staffed 24hrs a day during this time.

Transfers to Rebecca House may be arranged with your appointed Funeral Director following discussion with Hospice and either registration of death or clearance from the Coroner.

4

Ramsey District Cottage Hospital Please telephone Martin Ward directly on 01624 811960

The Multi-faith Hospital Chaplaincy Team: Providing spiritual and religious support The Chaplaincy Team are professional Chaplains and volunteers from various faiths and denominations, who are appointed by the hospital to offer emotional support to people of all faiths and none. Chaplains can also offer religious guidance and advice after a patient has died. If you are feeling distressed and think it would help for a Chaplain to be alongside you, please let a member of staff know, or contact the hospital switchboard on 01624 650000. You may also ask your own Chaplain to attend the Mortuary.

5

The Coroner, sudden deaths and post-mortems Under certain circumstances, it is a legal requirement to inform the Coroner of a person’s death. For example: • if a patient dies having had a fall or an accident and the death may be related to the accident (whenever it occurred) • if the death was sudden and unexpected • if they had been in hospital for less than 24 hours or had a recent operation • or if there is a possibility of it being an unnatural death.

The Coroner’s Officer will first gather information to investigate whether a death was due to natural causes and if a doctor can certify the medical cause of death.

If the Coroner is satisfied that death was from natural causes and no further investigation is necessary, then they may accept the medical cause of death that a doctor gives and authorise the doctor to certify the medical cause of death to allow the death to be registered.

If a doctor cannot certify the medical cause of death then the Coroner may order a post-mortem examination to be carried out.

The Coroner’s Officer will contact the family as soon as the preliminary results are available and will advise the family on the finding. If the cause of death was a natural cause then the Coroner will issue a Coroner’s notification to allow the death to be registered. If the cause of death is unnatural, or cannot be ascertained through the post mortem examination, then an Inquest will need to be opened.

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Opening of an inquest Once an inquest has been opened you will be provided with copies of a Coroner’s Interim Death Certificate, which can be used to notify any interested parties of the death, i.e., The DHSC, Banks, or Building Societies etc.

If you require any additional Certificates, these can be arranged by contacting the Coroner’s Clerk giving the deceased’s details.

The Coroner’s Clerk is Ms Liz Humphries she can be contacted on 01624 685474 or by email at liz.humphries@ courts.im For any queries you may have regarding the investigation etc. you should contact the Coroner’s Officer by telephoning 01624 631284/ 686102 or by email at CoronersOfficer.DHA@ gov.im At this point you cannot register the death and obtain a death certificate. This can only be done after the Inquest has been completed by the Coroner. A date has not yet been given for the resumed Investigation, the Coroner’s Officer will be in touch with you before a date for the resumption of the inquest has been identified.

Burial and Cremation Documents When the Inquest has been opened and adjourned, burial or cremation certificates will be issued. These will be collected from the Coroner’s Office by your Funeral Director. This will enable the Funeral Director to receive the deceased’s body from the hospital or mortuary.

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Sudden deaths in the A&E department Often, when patients die in the Accident & Emergency Department (A&E), their death is unexpected. In most cases, the hospital has to inform the Coroner. The doctor referring the death will seek guidance as to whether or not they can issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. If not, the Coroner may ask the GP (family doctor) to complete the certificate, or they may wish to investigate the death further.

Please read the section “The Coroner”, on page 6 and the chapter on “Post-mortem examinations”, as below.

Post–mortem examinations (also known as autopsies) Coroner’s post-mortem A Coroner’s post-mortem examination is performed by an independent pathologist, who has been instructed by the Coroner to establish the cause of death. This type of postmortem is a legal requirement and will not need the bereaved family’s consent. The Next-of-Kin cannot prevent a Coroner’s post-mortem, even if it conflicts with the family’s faith-tradition.

Hospital post-mortem Post-mortems are sometimes requested by hospital doctors to provide more information about an illness or the cause of death, or to further medical research.

Sometimes, the partner or relative of the deceased person will request a hospital post-mortem to find out more about the cause of death.

Hospital post-mortems can only be carried out with the appropriate consent.

8

How do I register the death?

Registering the Death Once you or your appointed funeral director have collected the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death it should be taken to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages within five days in order to register the death (unless the Coroner is involved).

You can use any of the offices listed below but must make an appointment before attending. You may wish to take someone along to support you whilst completing the registration.

Registration Offices Civil Registry The Registries Building, Deemsters Walk, Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 3AR Tel: 01624 687039

Peel Town Commissioners The Town Hall, Derby Road, Peel, Isle of Man IM5 1RG Tel: 01624 842341

Castletown Commissioners The Civic Centre, Farrants Way, Castletown, Isle of Man IM9 1NR Tel: 01624 825238

Ramsey Town Commissioners The Town Hall, Parliament Square, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM8 1RT Tel: 01624 810100

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If registering the death in Douglas, the informant should where possible enter the death information online prior to making an appointment using the ‘Register now’ button. Follow the Register a Death link on the main Gov.im website. You will also be able to purchase any copy certificates online if you follow this link.

Copies can also be purchased in person if you do not wish to use or do not have access to a computer, email or are registering outside of Douglas.

If after making an appointment you are unable to attend for whatever reason, or you are going to be late for your appointment, please telephone and advise the office as soon as possible – the Registrar may still be able to see you that day, or may provide you with a new appointment time.

One of the following persons has a legal obligation to register the death: • A relative of the deceased • A person present at the death • A person causing disposal of the body (this may be an executor, but cannot be the funeral director) • In certain circumstances, such as the deceased having no relatives or nobody being present at the death, an administrator of an institution (e.g. the manager of a residential home)

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Documents needed When making your appointment please make sure that the Registration Office has a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death issued by the doctor. Without this document, the Registrar cannot proceed with the registration. If they do not have a copy you may need to collect it from the place of issue or, if you have an appointed Funeral Director, speak with them as they may be able to arrange for the Registration Office to receive a copy.

Although not essential, it is very helpful if you can bring the following documentation belonging to the deceased to your registration appointment to verify information: • • • •

Birth certificate Marriage certificate (if applicable) Passport or driving licence Change of name documentation (if applicable)

Do I have to pay to register a death?

There is no charge for registering a death.

A death certificate can be purchased at the time of registration, or any time thereafter, currently at a cost of £11.00 per copy. This is a certified copy of the original entry in the Register of Deaths and is usually required by banks, building societies, insurance companies, probate office and such like. You can also obtain further copies at a later date if required.

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Information recorded in the Register of Deaths Information recorded in the Register of Deaths must be accurate at the time of the death. The information recorded is outlined below: Deceased’s details • Date and place of death • Forename(s) and surname, including maiden surname (if applicable) • Sex • Date and place of birth. The town or parish if born on the Isle of Man, otherwise the country as it was known at the time of their birth • Age • Occupation. The deceased’s most recent occupation should be stated including whether they were retired.

‘Homemaker’ is acceptable for a non-married woman or ‘Housewife’ for a married woman who worked in the family home. ‘Unemployed’ cannot be entered in the Register of Deaths.

• Usual address. This should be the full address the deceased was residing at the time of death • Cause of death. This is as stated on the Certificate of Cause of Death issued by the doctor or on the Coroner’s Certificate of Finding.

Informant’s details • Forename(s) and surname • Qualification • Usual address. This should be the full address the informant is residing at the time of registration

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Stopping Junk Mail to the recently deceased If someone you know has died, the amount of unwanted marketing post being sent to them can be greatly reduced which helps to stop painful daily reminders.

By registering with the free service www.stopmail.co.uk the names and addresses of the deceased are removed from mailing lists, stopping most advertising mail within as little as six weeks. If you cannot access the internet you can call 0808 168 9607, where you will be asked for very simple information that will take only a few minutes to complete.

Alternatively, ask the bereavement team for a leaflet that can be returned in the post.

This free of charge service provided by the Bereavement Support Network will actively reduce the unwanted marketing mail but also can help reduce the likelihood of identity theft following the death of someone close. The information is not used for any other purpose and you only have to complete this once. Additionally to Stop Mail a comparable service can also be accessed from the Bereavement Register or Deceased Preference Service if you would prefer to use them.

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Funeral arrangements Arranging the Funeral Funeral Directors are employed to make all of the arrangements for the funeral, on the instruction of the family.

It is not essential to employ a Funeral Director. Some families choose to arrange the funeral themselves, however, please be aware there are strict guidelines which must be followed.

You can start making the funeral arrangements, as soon as you feel able to. If you choose to appoint a Funeral Director, they will: • help you make all necessary arrangements and liaise between the various organisations, such as the cemetery/ crematorium and hospital.

• ensure all the correct paperwork is issued, so that the funeral can be held.

• discuss the funeral service with you. They will map out your options and choices and associated costs.

• help you appoint a faith-leader or non-religious celebrant to lead the service.

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Paying for the funeral The cost of a funeral can vary a lot. Before making any arrangements you should check how the funeral will be paid for. The deceased may have contributed to a scheme or policy. They may have savings, a prepaid funeral plan or life insurance policies.

It is a good idea to contact more than one Funeral Director to get an idea of the cost of a funeral. Do not be afraid to discuss with the Funeral Director ways of reducing costs.

You may be able to get help towards the cost of the funeral.

A Funeral Payment is payable to persons on low incomes who have taken responsibility for paying the funeral expenses of a person who has died.

Basic qualifying conditions You may be able to get a Funeral Payment if you or your partner have taken responsibility for paying the funeral expenses of: • your deceased partner or child, or • a close relative or close friend of yours who has died as long as it is reasonable for you to accept responsibility for those expenses (which will depend on the level of contact you had with the person who has died).

To get a payment you or your partner must be entitled to an income-related benefit (see below) when: • the claim for a funeral payment is made, and • the person in question died

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Those benefits are: • Income Support • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance • Employed Person’s Allowance But you cannot get a Funeral Payment if you and your partner together have capital of more than £6,000.

Amount A Funeral Payment will meet certain expenses in full and include an allowance for other expenses.

How and when should I apply Please complete claim form FP1 – Funeral Payment and form FP2 (to be completed in part by the Funeral Director) and take or send them to a Social Security Office (address below).

You must claim within 12 months of the date of death or you will not be entitled to a Funeral Payment.

Contact details: Funeral Payments Team, Markwell House, Market Street, Douglas IM1 2RZ Tel: 01624 685679 or 01624 685458

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Cremations The Bereavement Officer may ask you, if you are planning a burial or cremation service. If a cremation is chosen, then Cremation Papers need to be issued. The Bereavement Officer will arrange for the medical staff to complete the necessary forms.

If you are appointing a Funeral Director to organise the funeral, they will arrange to collect these from the hospital or GP. The fees for cremation papers will be included in the funeral bill.

Repatriation If you wish to repatriate the body (move the body to another country), it is vital that you discuss this with the Registrar, and also a Funeral Director, as various additional papers have to be issued. Most commonly, a “Free from Infection” (FFI) document has to be issued by the hospital, for which there is a fee, and an “Out of Isle of Man” order must be issued by the Coroner.

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Other practical matters When someone dies, informing the official organisations such as Government Agencies and Departments can be a repetitive and difficult process.

Service

Contacted

Completed

Government & Departments Social Security - Benefits, pensions Housing Department Income Tax Electoral Services Blue badges - please bring the blue badge if available Adult Social Care Children’s services Manx Utilities (electricity, water) Passport and Immigration Office Vehicle Licensing Department Libraries

In addition to the above there may be other organisations to contact.

Please use the following as guidance to see if you have contacted everyone you need.

End of Life Experience Questionnaire The survey aims to understand the views and opinions of those who recently experienced the end of life care of a loved one. This will help Hospice Isle of Man and other relevant services to provide good, quality, end of life care for all who need it on the Island. www.hospice.org.im/our-care/eol-care-survey 18

Service

Contacted

Completed

Executors of the estate (Will) Priest, Vicar, Minister or Faith Leader Residential or nursing home Family doctor Dentist Place of work (Occupational pension) Advocate/Solicitor Bank, giro, credit cards, building society Insurance companies Motor insurance Gas, telephone companies Landlord Home Services (Home helps, home care) Royal Mail, newsagent and milk deliveries Schools, college or university Personal alarm service Cancel any appointments Community Equipment Service Social Media/Email Account

Most banks now have a team dedicated to help you through this time.

You may find it helpful to have the following information about the person to hand to complete the various forms: • Full name • Date and place of birth • National insurance number • Address • Date and place of death • NHS number

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You may also find it helpful to write a standard letter you can copy.

Disposing of your deceased relative’s medications that are in the home.

Take any medications that were prescribed to the deceased back to the pharmacy that dispensed them. Please do not dispose of medications by flushing them down the toilet or putting them in household waste.

The Will Ideally a Will should have been made and you will know where it is. Often a copy is left with their advocate or bank and you should contact them for it.

If a person dies without making a Will, this is called ‘intestate’, and a advocate will need to follow certain procedures.

If the person who dies left a Will, they will usually have asked an ‘executor’ to deal with their ‘estate’ (money, belongings, property). If the person did not name an executor the court will appoint someone (usually someone named in the Will) to administer the Will.

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Probate The Probate section of the Isle of Man Courts of Justice will advise you whether you need to obtain a grant of probate/ letters of administration to deal with the deceased’s estate (the money, property and possessions left by the deceased).

Tel: 01624 685243 You may choose to sort out probate yourself if the estate is relatively straightforward, or you can use an advocate to help you.

Should you find it helpful to take advice from an advocate, you can have a short consultation, for a fee you should agree in advance. You can then decide if you will need their help.

Telephone the advocate to find out what their fee would be for providing an initial consultation and subsequent charges.

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What is bereavement?

The death of someone close to you can be an emotionally traumatic experience. There may be intense emotions that are not easy to cope with. Most bereaved people come through grief with the help of family and friends. For some people, extra support can be helpful. Bottling up difficult feelings can have damaging psychological, emotional, and physical consequences. Grief is not an illness. It is not a weakness. It is a healthy and necessary response and experience.

Remember, grieving is a normal and natural process. It may involve you needing to express your deepest feelings and eventually come to live with the reality that your relative, loved one, or friend has died, and also find ways to adapt to your changed circumstances and life.

Grief is sometimes described in terms of a journey. There are some feelings that are frequently experienced by many people who are bereaved, although not everyone experiences all of them.

The journey of grief can take many different forms, and different lengths of time for different people. Some people experience deep emotions, and others work through their grief in more practical ways.

You may experience: • Shock, disbelief, denial • Sadness and depression • Anger and guilt • Acceptance 22

Living with grief Emotional responses can include: Sadness, anger, guilt, relief.

Physical responses can include: Fatigue, headaches, change in appetite, disturbed sleep patterns. It’s a good idea to speak with your GP about any physical symptoms you may have.

Mental / cognitive responses can include: Memory loss, poor concentration, indecision.

Social responses can include: Feeling withdrawn, loneliness, difficulty mixing with others.

Spiritual responses can include: Loss of faith, unable to ‘make sense’ of things. As time goes on, your experience of grief may change. Grief may come over you ‘in waves’, with some days feeling better than others.

There are no time scales to grief.

Don’t be rushed by the expectations of others. There are no rules.

DO try to look after yourself. Try spending a little time with others.

DO talk about the person who has died to people who understand.

For more information: www.nhs.uk/livewell/bereavement/pages/bereavement.aspx 23

Talking to children about death and grief Many people find they naturally want to protect children from things they, and we, may find difficult. It is easy to presume that children will not understand death and bereavement, or that it will be too upsetting for them.

However, we can all too easily underestimate a child’s ability to cope. Like adults, they too find it hard to understand and cope if they are not told what is happening. When information is kept from children, sometimes their imagination can make the situation far more frightening as they seek to make sense of what is happening around them. It can lead to them feeling isolated and excluded.

Some simple things to do: • DO use simple, unambiguous language e.g. ‘died’ instead of ‘fallen asleep’ or ‘lost’.

• DO give them plenty of time to ask questions.

• DO give them plenty of love and reassurance.

• DO share your own emotions too – by doing this children learn that it is good and healthy to express emotions.

• DO give children space and opportunity to draw, write stories, and creatively express themselves in order to say goodbye to the person who has died.

• DO offer children the opportunity to participate in the funeral if they wish to do so.

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Useful contacts and websites • Care for the Family www.careforthefamily.org.uk • CRUSE Bereavement Care Telephone: 01624 668191 Email: info@cruseisleofman.org Website: www.cruseisleofman.org • Hospice Drop-in Days 01624 647426 Scholl Centre, (Hospice) Mondays and Thursdays 10.30am-6.30pm • Applause for Jake Email: applauseforjakewatson@outlook.com Facebook: ApplauseforJakeWatson • Organ Donation Facebook: www.facebook.com/OrganDonationIsleOfMan www.organdonation.nhs.uk For support in relation to child bereavement or baby loss: • Hospice IOM Young Persons Support Worker 01624 647488 • SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) 0808 164 3332 www.sands.org.uk • Tabitha’s Trust 01624 829105 www.tabithastrust.com • Arlos Adventure 07624 456 175 arlosadventure.myshopify.com • Manx Children’s Charity / A Little Piece of Hope www.alittlepieceofhope.com • Sleeping Angel Wood www.sleepingangelwood.com 25

Advice and support Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Advice on benefits, tax Tel: 01624 626863 and money management.

Macmillan Cancer Support Tel: 0808 808 00 00 www.macmillan.org.uk Samaritans Tel: 116 123 www.samaritans.org

Support and information for those in bereavement from cancer.

Confidential support for any person in despair or feeling suicidal, 24 hours a day support.

Support for bereaved parents Bereaved Parents Network Tel: 029 2081 0800 www.careforthefamily.org.uk Bereaved Through Alcohol and Drugs www.beadproject.org.uk Bereavement Support Network Tel: 0808 168 9607 www.bereavementadvice.co.uk The Compassionate Friends Help to parents whose children or grandchildren have died Tel: 0345 123 2304 www.tcf.org.uk

Help and support to those who have lost a child of any age.

Our aim is to be a source of information, support and hope for anyone whose loved one has died as a result of drug or alcohol use.

To remove the name and address of someone who has died from databases and mailing lists.

Help to parents whose children or grandchildren have died. Help to people whose brother or sister has died.

Cruse Bereavement Care Tel: 0808 808 1677 www.cruse.org.uk

Information, advice and support to all bereaved people.

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London Friend LGBT Bereavement Helpline Tel: 0300 330 0630 www.londonfriend.org.uk Widowed and Young www.widowedandyoung.org.uk

Support and practical information to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people who have been bereaved or facing bereavement.

Helps the under 50s who have lost a partner.

Support for young people Bluebell Foundation Tel: 07516 556 081 or 07849 400 315 www.bluebell.org.uk Cruse Bereavement Care for children and young people Tel: 0808 808 1677 www.hopeagain.org.uk Kooth.com Riprap www.riprap.org.uk Winston’s Wish Tel: 08088 020 021 www.winstonswish.org.uk Ref: Noble’s Hospital Bereavement Book Review Date: October 2023 Publication Date: October 2021

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Support for children and young people up to the age of 18 who are grieving through the death of someone important to them.

Website support designed by young people for young people.

Free, safe, anonymous online support for young people.

Support for young people aged 12-18 whose parents have cancer.

For bereaved children, young people and their families

Help with closing social media accounts, after someone you know has died.

It would be fair to assume that a loved ones accounts would be closed automatically after a period of inactivity, but sadly this isn’t always the case. For example, Facebook will keep the account active until they are instructed otherwise, however Twitter will automatically close the account after it hasn’t been used for six months. Given the number of social media accounts that a person may have, if you are having to close them, it’s important to understand the procedures and requirements, as it’s slightly different from one provider to another. This simple overview is designed to help you with the next steps.

If you have access to their login details, it will make the process simpler, but they are not essential to close or alter them. Often a copy of the death certificate and a few other documents are required for these companies to action your requests, but please note this may change in time.

Twitter

Twitter automatically closes after six months of inactivity, it could be re-activated > Whilst if someone were to gain access at a later date. Twitter provides the options of official

deactivation or the deletion of the account.

For more information, visit help.twitter.com.en. Scroll to the bottom and click “Help Centre”. This will bring a search bar up and using the search term “deceased”, it will guide you from here.

Facebook

are two options for Facebook. The account can either be closed permanently or you > There could choose to have the page memorialised. Memorialised accounts are a place for friends

and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away. Whereas once the account is deleted, it can no longer be viewed.

Some users of Facebook may have already nominated a “Legacy contact” to administer their account in the event of a death, however some may have not.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com. Scroll to the bottom and click “Help”. This will bring a search bar up and using the search term “deceased”, it will guide you from here.

This information has kindly been sponsored by Trust Inheritance, who on behalf of Bereavement Support Network can provide you with free of charge advice when dealing with a loved ones estate.

0808 168 9607 working in conjunction with the

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>

Instagram As per Facebook, Instagram also offers the option of both Memorialisation and closing the account.

For more information, visit www.instagram.com. Scroll to the bottom and click “Help”. This will bring a search bar up and using the search term “deceased”, it will guide you from here.

>

Linked In There are two types of accounts with LinkedIn, Basic and Premium users. The only difference in closing the accounts, is that a premium account would need to be downgraded first to Basic and then it can be closed.

For more information, visit www.linkedin.com. Scroll to the bottom and click “Help Centre”.

This will bring a search bar up and using the search term “deceased”, it will guide you from here.

Pinterest

other forms of social media, Pinterest does not delete inactive users. Therefore it’s > Unlike vital you make contact with them, to close and protect the account of your loved one. This

will not destroy the account, but it will deactivate it to reduce the likelihood of someone hacking into it at a later date.

For more information, visit www.pinterest.co.uk. Scroll to the bottom and click “Help”. This will bring a search bar up and using the search term “deceased”, it will guide you from here.

Gmail

more information, visit www.google.com/gmail. Scroll to the bottom and click “Help”. > For This will bring a search bar up and using the search term “deceased”, it will guide you from here.

On average most people that use the internet have over 5 accounts, so the above are just a few electronic platforms that your loved one may have used. These are big social media companies, however there could be smaller interest groups such as sports and hobbies, that may need looking into.

Other larger social media accounts may include: I-Tunes, Microsoft Outlook, Flickr, Tumbler, You Tube, WhatsApp, Skype, Snapchat.

This information has kindly been sponsored by Trust Inheritance, who on behalf of Bereavement Support Network can provide you with free of charge advice when dealing with a loved ones estate.

0808 168 9607 working in conjunction with the

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Manx Care would like to thank RNS Publications for publishing this information and the following pages contain some features from local services offering their help at this time.

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

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,�port network 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.

www.stopmail.co.uk 0808 168 9607 from a landline 0333 006 8114 from a mobile © Bereavement Support Network Ltd 2022

Probate Matters You may need help, support or advice on what to do when someone dies in relation to probate.

Freephone: 0808 168 5181 Mobiles: 0333 240 0360 We o ffer free guidance and advice on t he l egal and f inancial a spects of bereavement including your responsibilities and whether probate is required.

Calls are free from most land lines, some calls may be monitored for training purposes and all calls are confidential.

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