natural burial grounds

When Someone Dies

For many, the death of someone close is an unfamiliar event. Even when it is not the first time we've had to cope with the process, the departure can leave us feeling overhwelmed and somewhat at sea. We hope the following list of down-to-earth practicalities will be of value as guidelines and reminders.

At the Time of Death

When someone dies in hospital, or is pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, you should be given a reasonable amount of time with the person before you leave. If the staff appear hurried or impatient, know that you have the right to assert your own need to have time alone with your loved one, even though they may be busy.

It will usually be the Patient Affairs Officer who lets you have the belongings of the deceased, including any valuables which may have put into safe keeping. They will also let you have the death certificate.

When someone dies at home, you will need to contact your local doctor or GP, who will come to the house in order to certify the death. It may be necessary to collect the death certificate from your local surgery the following day. If there is anything unsual about the death, the police may need to be called. If the GP cannot write in the cause of death, a postmortem may be necessary.

Contacting the Solicitor / Finding the Will

It is important to find out if the deceased had a will. There may be requests and instructions in the will that it would be respectful or necessary to follow regarding the funeral or disposal of the body.

What Happens to the Body

The hospital will keep the body in their mortuary until it is taken by a funeral director. It should be possible to make arrangements to see the person between the time of death and their burial or cremation. Contact the hospital or funeral director. You will probably be given a private room in the mortuary where you can spend time alone with them.

A body can be kept at home for three or four days, if the funeral is to take place soon. However, it is worth asking advice from your GP or practice nurse about how best to care for it.

Registering the Death

Every death must be registered within 5 days at the registry office in the district where the person died, ideally by a close relative. It doesn't cost anything, but funeral arrangements and interment cannot happen until this has been done. The doctor or hopsital will be able to let you know where and how to do this, or look up the Registrar of Births and Deaths in the telephone directory.

You will be asked for the following at the registry office :

The registrar will provide you with a green certificate of registration . This form will need to be given to the funeral director in order that the deceased may be buried or cremated. This certificate is also free, but you may need certified copies (for which there is a small charge), in order to legally close down the deceased's affairs, such as bank accounts, insurance policies and so on.

The registrar will also provide you with a form if the deceased was claiming any social security. This you will then be able to give to the Social Security office.

Arranging the Funeral

The simplest way of arranging a funeral is to talk with a funeral director. However, it is possible to organize a funeral without, and for this we would advise you refer to The Natural Death Handbook, available through the Natural Death Centre. Or talk to us at Nature Reserve Burial Grounds.

Cremation

If the body is to be cremated, you will need cremation forms B and C from the doctor or the hospital, for which there is a charge of £30 - £40. Once you have decided upon a crematorium, talk with the staff there who should be helpful. The crematorium will ask you to fill out cremation form A, and any of their own paperwork, and will ask you for the green certificate of registration. Your funeral director may organise this for you.

A Cemetery or Natural Burial Ground

If the body is to be buried, you will need to provide the funeral director or burial ground management with the green certificate of registration.