#AARP CHECKLIST FOR MY FAMILY PDF PROFESSIONAL#

Generally, funeral directors report deaths to the Social Security Administration, but ultimately, it’s the survivors’ responsibility to ensure the SSA is informed. Some family members may be eligible for death benefits from Social Security. The Social Security Administration (SSA): If the deceased was receiving Social Security benefits, you need to stop the checks.NOTIFY THE FOLLOWING OF YOUR LOVED ONE’S DEATH: Get a friend or relative who is a wordsmith to write an obituary.Sometimes small country cemeteries rely on family members to maintain the grounds and graves. If the deceased will be buried in a cemetery, you’ll want to find out how the cemetery is maintained.If the person chose to donate their body to science, a social worker at a hospital or with hospice can help you coordinate the body donation, and you will receive cremated remains at a later date.If the deceased has been cremated, you can transport the cremains yourself (the funeral home will provide you with the necessary paperwork to carry with you). The funeral homes will arrange for transportation of the remains. If your loved ones’ remains need to be transported to another state, you’ll have to work with both a local funeral home and one in the state that will be receiving the remains.Line up relatives and friends to be pallbearers, deliver eulogies, plan the service, keep a list of well-wishers, write thank-you notes and arrange the post-funeral gathering. Benefits for veterans may include a military salute at the funeral or payment for a headstone or its engraving. If the person was in the military or belonged to a fraternal or religious group, contact the Veterans Administration or the specific organization to see if it offers burial benefits or funeral services.

A funeral home can assist you with many of the other steps listed below. It’s a good idea to research funeral prices to help you make informed decisions. If not, you’ll need to choose a funeral home and decide on specifics like where the service will be, whether to opt for cremation, where the body or ashes will be interred, and what type of tombstone or urn to order.

Talk with a surviving spouse or search the paperwork to find out whether there was a prepaid burial plan.

Within a few days of death MAKE FUNERAL, BURIAL OR CREMATION ARRANGEMENTS Find out if the employer offers death benefits and how any pension will be handled for the surviving spouse.

Put a post about the death on social media on both your account and the deceased person’s, if you have access.Ĭontact the deceased’s employer right away so they can handle payroll matters and workload. Ask the recipients to spread the word by notifying others connected to the deceased. Inform neighbors, coworkers and the members of any social groups or church the person belonged to. If you have been using an online platform (such as CaringBridge, Facebook or Lotsa Helping Hands) to share updates about your loved ones’ condition and organize support, you can tell people there. To track down all those who need to know, go through the deceased’s email and phone contacts.

Send out a group text or mass email, or make individual phone calls, to let people know your loved one has died. Without a declaration of death, you can’t plan a funeral, much less handle the deceased’s legal affairs. If your family member died at home under hospice care, a hospice nurse can declare them dead. To do this, call 911 soon after your loved one passes and have them transported to an emergency room, where they can be declared dead and moved to a funeral home.

#AARP CHECKLIST FOR MY FAMILY PDF PROFESSIONAL#

But if your relative died at home, especially if the death was unexpected, you’ll need to get a medical professional to declare them dead. An official declaration of death is the first step to getting a death certificate, a critical piece of paperwork. If your loved one died in a hospital or nursing home where a doctor was present, the staff will handle this. To do immediately after someone dies GET A LEGAL PRONOUNCEMENT OF DEATH

Aarp checklist for my family pdf