Unexpected death
Call emergency services
If the death was unexpected, unattended, or there is any safety concern, call 911 or the appropriate emergency number. Emergency or medical personnel will help determine the next required step.
First steps
What to do when someone dies.
The first steps depend on where the death occurred and whether medical, hospice, facility, or emergency personnel are already involved. This guide helps families slow the moment down into a manageable sequence.
Hospice or care
Call the care team
If the person was under hospice care or died in a hospital, nursing home, or care facility, ask the nurse or facility staff what they will handle and what the family needs to decide next.
Family lead
Identify the decision-maker
Find out who has legal authority to authorize burial, cremation, or other disposition. Written wishes, prearrangements, and state law can affect who signs provider documents.
Next practical steps
Look for written wishes, prepaid arrangements, cemetery documents, or a chosen provider.
Choose a funeral home or cremation provider and ask what they need to transfer care.
Request the General Price List and ask for an itemized estimate before selecting services.
Gather legal name, birth date, Social Security number, parents' names, marital status, and military records if applicable.
Family coordination
Notify a small circle first, then assign roles for provider calls, documents, travel, meals, children or elder care, obituary details, photos, and faith or community contacts. Hestia is designed to keep those tasks in one shared planning room once the family is ready.
See planning roomThis page is general planning information, not legal, medical, emergency, financial, or religious advice. If there is an emergency, call emergency services. For Tennessee-specific legal or vital records questions, confirm with the appropriate Tennessee office, county office, provider, or attorney.