If a death occurs in San Diego County follow these guidelines:

What do I do when someone dies?

#1 Notify the Proper Authorities

At Home or at Work

  • When someone dies at home or at work, emergency medical personnel must be contacted, and the death must be reported, usually by calling 911.  The San Diego Corner’s Office  (858) 694-2895 will determine if the body will be released to a mortuary or will be taken to their offices.
  • If the person is a member of the San Diego Memorial Society have the members’s number/card available for the  San Diego Corner’s Office. Call us if you don’t have their membership number. 858-391-1267
  • If the death was expected, and he or she was under a doctor’s care, inform their physician’s office and have current  medications and medical records available for review by the San Diego Corner’s Office
  • If the person was under hospice care, contact the hospice providers. They will notify the proper authorities on your behalf. In most cases the San Diego Corner’s Office will not be involved and the mortuary will be contacted by Hospice. Make sure the Hospice records include the membership information for the San Diego Memorial Society and the members membership number.

At a Hospital or Nursing Home

  • When someone dies in a hospital or in a nursing home, the staff will notify the proper authorities on your behalf, including the mortuary. Make sure the medical records include the membership information for the San Diego Memorial Society and the members membership number.

Organ Donations

  • What do I do when someone dies and they are an organ donor? When the person who dies has made arrangements for organ or whole body donation, inform the personnel at the hospital or nursing home or have the enrollment information available for the San Diego Corner’s Office.

#2 Contact Your Mortuary

  • As soon as possible, notify your chosen mortuary. Provide them with the individuals San Diego Memorial Society membership number and inform them where the body is located-San Diego Corner’s Office, home, hospital, nursing home etc. and set up an appointment to make final arrangements.
  • List of Mortuaries to choose from if you are a San Diego Memorial Society member.

So, if you are wondering “What do I do when someone dies?” We hope this article was informative and helpful.

Call us if you need help with low cost burial and cremation.

We help those when they need it most! Call 858-391-1267