STEP BY STEP
Where did your loved one pass?
At home, with hospice care
-
Call the hospice agency, not 911
A hospice nurse will come, confirm the death and help you with the next steps.
-
Take the time you need
Once the death has been confirmed, there is usually no rush. Many families sit with their loved one, call relatives and say goodbye first.
-
Call us when you’re ready
We answer 24 hours a day at (773) 866-2273. We come to your home, bring your loved one into our care and explain each step.
-
Gather a few details
The death certificate asks for information you may need to look up. See the list below.
At home, sudden or unexpected
-
Call 911
Police and paramedics will respond, and the Cook County Medical Examiner may review the death. If you’re not sure whether a death was expected, call 911.
-
If the Medical Examiner takes your loved one into its care
Its staff will contact you. You may then choose any licensed funeral director in Illinois to bring your loved one from there.
-
Call us, any hour
Tell us what happened. We’ll coordinate with the Medical Examiner and explain each step.
-
Gather a few details
The death certificate asks for information you may need to look up. See the list below.
In a hospital
-
The hospital confirms the death
Staff will ask which funeral home you have chosen. Hospitals typically give families two to three days to make arrangements, depending on the hospital.
-
Tell them Caring Cremations, then call us
Call (773) 866-2273. We arrange the release with the hospital and bring your loved one into our care.
-
Arrange from wherever you are
You don’t need to come to our office. Arrange online in about 15 minutes, or by phone.
-
Gather a few details
The death certificate asks for information you may need to look up. See the list below.
In a nursing home or assisted living
-
Staff confirm the death
The facility’s staff, or its hospice, confirm the death and contact the family.
-
Tell them Caring Cremations, then call us
We come to the facility day or night and bring your loved one into our care.
-
Ask about personal belongings
Each facility has its own policy on personal belongings and how long you have to collect them, so ask the staff.
-
Gather a few details
The death certificate asks for information you may need to look up. See the list below.
When the Medical Examiner is involved
-
The Medical Examiner reviews the death
In Cook County, the Medical Examiner may review a sudden or unexpected death. Its staff will contact the family.
-
Choose your funeral home
You may choose any licensed funeral director in Illinois to bring your loved one from the Medical Examiner’s office.
-
Call us, any hour
We coordinate the release with the Medical Examiner and keep you updated.
-
The cremation permit
In Cook County, the Medical Examiner issues a cremation permit before the death certificate is filed. We handle it for you.
FOR THE DEATH CERTIFICATE
Details to gather
- Full legal name, date and place of birth
- Social Security number
- Both parents’ names, including mother’s maiden name
- Marital status and spouse’s name
- Highest education and usual occupation
- Military discharge papers (DD-214), if your loved one served
WHO SIGNS FOR THE CREMATION
The legal next of kin
Illinois law sets the order: your loved one’s own written wishes first, then a designated agent, the executor, the spouse or civil union partner, the adult children, the parents, then other next of kin.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
After the first call
The legal next of kin signs the cremation authorization, online or in person.
In Cook County, the Medical Examiner issues a cremation permit before the death certificate is filed. We handle it.
Illinois doesn’t allow cremation within 24 hours of death, except in rare cases.
Most cremations are completed within 5 to 10 business days, depending on permits and the doctor’s signature.
In the first weeks
- Order enough certified death certificates. Banks, insurers and pension plans often each want one. How many you need
- Call Social Security at 800-772-1213 about the death and any survivor benefits.
- Lock the home if no one is staying there, keep medications somewhere safe, and make sure pets are cared for.
- Bank accounts, bills and mail can usually wait a few days.
WHEN YOU’RE READY
We’re here day or night
The phone is answered 24/7, and calling doesn’t commit you to anything. Se habla español.
NOT SURE WHAT YOU NEED?
Find the right service
Answer two or three quick questions and see which cremation service fits your family, with the full price.
