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If you’ve just lost someone you love, you’re likely to face a difficult time ahead. If you’re unsure what to do after a death in Brooklyn, NY, your next action depends on the location of the death. If your loved one died under hospice or hospital care, call the nurse. Otherwise, call 911. While the hospital or nursing home staff takes care of the paperwork, but you must still:
- Alert the authorities, if necessary
- Obtain a legal death certificate from the doctor or medical coroner
- Notify your family and friends
- Call one of the best funeral homes in Brooklyn, NY
At Harmony Funeral Home, we know precisely what to do after a death in Brooklyn. Schedule an arrangement meeting with us, either in person or virtually. We guide you through the decisions about which services you want, based on your preferences, religious traditions and cultural norms. Once the deceased is in our care through our transportation service, you can focus on contacting your family and friends.
How Do I Plan a Funeral or Cremation?
If your loved one made advance arrangements with us, we share them with you and follow the deceased’s wishes to the letter. Otherwise, our staff meets with you and your family to plan what funeral services come next. We help you create a full traditional funeral or a simpler, affordable funeral service. Choose from options that include:
- A burial or cremation — or both
- Whether you want a non-religious or religious funeral — and if so, for which faith
- The casket or urn, depending on the type of service you chose
- Decisions about how to honor the life lived, including speeches, photos, videos or a repast
- A date, time and place for the chosen type of funeral, whether a dignified memorial service or a more informal celebration of life
If you aren’t sure what’s best, our Harmony Funeral Home team makes suggestions, while respecting your budget. Our professionals describe all our services with sensitivity and transparency. We respect your time of loss while guiding you toward what you must do.
What Legal and Financial Actions Should I Take After a Death?
If you don’t know what to do after a death in Brooklyn, you have legal and financial issues to attend to. While you don’t have to take care of everything immediately, there are several tasks to complete shortly after death including:
- Ordering several certified copies of the death certificate
- Informing Social Security, although our team can help
- Contacting the deceased’s health and life insurance companies
- Finding a will or estate-planning documents
Harmony Funeral Home provides legal paperwork support and, in fact, help with all the paperwork you need for a funeral. Ask us for help, and we guide you every step of the way. Our team assists not just with the funeral, but with everything that comes after a death in Brooklyn.
What if a Death Occurs Away from Home?
When a loved one passes away while traveling, you face additional logistics challenges. Wherever the death occurred, however, our team can make the transportation arrangements so you don’t have to worry. We:
- Arrange to transport the body back to Brooklyn, from either within the U.S. or from another country
- Draw up legal documents for interstate or international transfers
- Coordinate directly with hospitals, embassies and airports, as appropriate
- Address customs and language issues
We explain each plan thoroughly so you understand what’s going to happen after the death of a loved one. Dealing with the deceased’s body is one task you don’t have to worry about when you deal with Harmony Funeral Home.
What Conversations Should I Be Having With My Loved Ones Now?
Even if you don’t wish to discuss your eventual death with your family, it makes sense to discuss your end-of-life wishes with them in some way. It opens up the conversation, so your family can act with confidence and certainty when the end comes. This is one of the most powerful actions to prepare for what to do after a death in Brooklyn. Discuss:
- Your burial vs. cremation preferences freely
- The religious or spiritual traditions you hold dear
- Any music, readings or service choices you’d make
- The person you want to make your arrangements
- Where your important documents are stored
If you just can’t talk to your family about what to do after a death in Brooklyn, write it all down, and let someone close to you — your spouse or sibling — know where you’ve stored it. When your loved ones know what you want, there won’t be any confusion during grief. Harmony Funeral Home can guide you sensitively to record your wishes, if you’d like.
How Do I Prepare for the Future?
Preparing ahead for what to do after a death in Brooklyn makes everything less stressful on your family. We step you through your choices to save your loved ones from having to guess during a time of emotional distress. You can:
- Start by formalizing your desires into a written record.
- Have a talk with loved ones so everyone understands your wishes
- Select a cremation, burial or eco-friendly burial
- Lock in today’s costs with a pre-payment option
- Keep your documents safe and convenient for your loved ones
Pre-planning isn’t about just logistics. Your choices are a present to those left behind, as it assists them at a difficult time. We’re always available to walk you through your options and answer your questions about what to do after a death in Brooklyn, even if planning for the years to come.
Does Harmony Funeral Home Offer Cost-Effective Options?
Funeral costs represent one aspect of your end-of-life plans that you can’t ignore. While we do offer affordable option, your costs depend on what you want and the services you choose. Our team respects your budget with a number of cost-effective funeral services in Brooklyn, such as:
- Direct cremation service without a funeral
- Cremation package plans
- Funeral financing, including payment plans
- Pre-planning options with pre-payment to secure today’s rates for the future
- Customizable funeral plans, so you can change your mind about what services you want
Because we understand what to do after a death in Brooklyn, we provide resources to you and your family, including:
- Grief support
- Pre-arranged funeral transfers
- Video recording services to preserve the funeral or memorial for your family
Contact us at Harmony Funeral Home to learn what to do after a death in Brooklyn. Be prepared for the end of life by making plans now. Our team serves your family with trusted, compassionate advice at every step. We’ve been honored with numerous awards by the National Funeral Directors Association. Let us bring that level attention to you.
Harmony Funeral Home
2200 Clarendon Rd.,
Brooklyn, NY 11226
(718) 469-6666