What Happens Immediately After a Hospice Patient Dies at Home?
When a loved one is receiving hospice care at home, families often know that death is approaching—but knowing it is coming does not necessarily prepare you for the moment it happens. One of the first questions families may have is, “What do we do now?”
Home is an increasingly common place for Americans to spend their final moments. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of deaths occurring at home increased from 22.7% in 2000 to 31.4% in 2018.
For families receiving hospice care, one of the benefits of having a hospice team is knowing that you do not have to navigate those first moments alone. Understanding what happens after a hospice patient dies at home can help remove some of the uncertainty and allow families to focus on saying goodbye.
What Happens After a Hospice Patient Dies at Home?
When an expected death occurs at home while someone is receiving hospice care, there is generally no need to panic or rush.
Your first step should be to call the hospice agency using the number your hospice team has provided.
The hospice team will guide you through what happens next. Depending on state requirements and the hospice agency's procedures, an appropriate healthcare professional will complete or coordinate the required process for confirming or pronouncing the death.
The hospice team may also:
Provide emotional support to the family
Explain what will happen over the next several hours
Complete or coordinate required documentation
Help coordinate with the family's selected funeral home
Provide instructions regarding medications and medical equipment
Answer questions about what the family should do next
Explain available bereavement support
You are not expected to know how to handle all of these things yourself.
What Should You Do Immediately After a Hospice Patient Dies at Home?
The first thing to do is call hospice.
After that, follow the instructions provided by your hospice team.
For an expected hospice death, you generally do not need to immediately begin calling multiple agencies, removing medical equipment, gathering medications, or making every funeral decision.
And perhaps most importantly: you do not have to rush your goodbye.
Depending on the circumstances and guidance from your hospice team, family members may have some time to sit with their loved one before the funeral home arrives.
You may want to pray, play meaningful music, call another family member, hold your loved one's hand, or simply sit quietly.
There is no correct way to spend those moments.
Do You Call 911 When a Hospice Patient Dies at Home?
For an expected death of a patient receiving hospice care, families should generally call their hospice agency rather than automatically calling 911.
Hospice patients and families are typically given instructions ahead of time about whom to contact when death occurs.
This is different from a sudden, unexpected, or unexplained death in someone who is not receiving hospice care. In those circumstances, 911 or the appropriate local emergency authority should be contacted.
If you are ever uncertain about what to do, contact your hospice agency and follow the instructions of your care team.
What Does the Hospice Nurse Do After a Patient Dies?
After being notified of an expected death, the hospice team will begin the appropriate after-death process.
The exact procedure can vary depending on state requirements and hospice policies. An appropriate healthcare professional may assess the patient, confirm or pronounce the death as permitted, complete necessary documentation, and make required notifications.
The hospice team can also explain each step to the family.
For many families, this is one of the most valuable parts of hospice care. You have someone to call who understands the patient's illness, knows that the death was expected, and can guide you through an experience you may never have faced before.
You Do Not Have to Rush After a Hospice Death
When people ask what happens after a hospice patient dies at home, they are often expecting a long list of things that must happen immediately.
In reality, one of the most important things to understand is that an expected hospice death does not mean the family has to suddenly spring into action.
There may be a quiet period between the moment of death and everything that follows.
Some families want that time.
Others find remaining in the room difficult and prefer for the process to move forward more quickly.
Both responses are understandable.
Grief can also look very different from person to person. Someone may cry immediately, while another person feels numb. A caregiver may even experience a sense of relief knowing that their loved one's pain or struggle has ended—and then feel guilty for experiencing that relief.
There is no single emotional response that determines how much you loved someone.
Recognizing When Death May Be Near
For many hospice patients, there are physical changes during the final hours and days of life.
Families may notice:
Increased sleeping
Less interest in food and fluids
Difficulty swallowing
Changes in breathing
Longer pauses between breaths
Changes in skin color or temperature
Decreased urine output
Less responsiveness
Confusion or restlessness
Increasing weakness
These changes can be frightening when families do not know what they mean.
If your loved one appears to be approaching the final stage of life, our Oasis Hospice article “What Happens in the Last 48 Hours of Life: What Families Should Expect” explains many of the changes families may notice and why they occur.
Knowing what may happen before death can make the moment itself feel a little less unfamiliar.
When Does the Funeral Home Come After a Hospice Death?
Once the appropriate steps have been completed and the family is ready, the selected funeral home can be notified or arrangements can be coordinated according to the family's wishes and applicable procedures.
Funeral home staff will come to the home and respectfully transport your loved one into their care.
Families who made funeral or cremation arrangements in advance may already have a funeral home selected.
If arrangements were not made ahead of time, do not feel as though you must suddenly have every answer. Your hospice team can explain what information may be needed as you determine your next steps.
Can Family Spend Time With Their Loved One Before the Funeral Home Comes?
In many expected hospice deaths, there may be an opportunity for family members to spend some time with their loved one before transportation occurs.
Some families find this time deeply meaningful.
You may want to invite a close family member into the room, say a prayer, share a final goodbye, or simply sit together.
Other families may not want additional time, and that is okay too.
There is no required amount of time you must spend at the bedside after someone dies.
Talk with your hospice team about what happens next and let them know what you and your family need.
What Happens to Hospice Medications After Someone Dies?
Do not give the patient's medications to another person or assume they should simply be thrown into the household trash.
Your hospice agency can provide instructions for properly handling and disposing of medications after death.
The hospice team may review the medications in the home and explain what needs to happen with them according to agency procedures and applicable requirements.
Families do not need to figure this out on their own.
What Happens to the Hospital Bed, Oxygen, and Other Hospice Equipment?
A hospital bed, oxygen equipment, wheelchair, bedside commode, or other durable medical equipment may still be in the home after a hospice patient dies.
It does not necessarily need to be removed immediately.
The appropriate medical equipment provider generally coordinates the pickup of rented equipment. Your hospice team can explain how this process works and what you should expect.
For some families, having equipment removed quickly feels helpful. For others, seeing the room suddenly emptied can be emotional.
Both reactions are normal.
What Happens With the Death Certificate?
A death certificate is the official legal record of a person's death.
The appropriate medical professional completes the required medical information according to state law, and the funeral home commonly assists families with obtaining certified copies.
Families may eventually need certified death certificates for matters involving:
Life insurance
Bank and financial accounts
Property
Retirement accounts
Social Security
Veterans benefits
Estates and probate
Other legal or financial matters
You do not need to handle all of these responsibilities in the first hours after your loved one dies.
According to Medicare, funeral homes generally report a person's death to Social Security when provided with the information needed to do so.
What Happens After the Funeral Home Takes Your Loved One?
This can be one of the hardest moments for families.
For days, weeks, months, or even years, caregiving may have shaped everyday life. There were medications to remember, symptoms to monitor, meals to prepare, appointments to manage, and constant concern about whether your loved one was comfortable.
Then the house becomes quiet.
That silence can feel unexpected.
Some caregivers describe feeling lost because the responsibilities that occupied so much of their time suddenly stop.
This is also when hospice's focus begins shifting from caring for the patient to supporting the people who loved them.
Bereavement Support After a Hospice Death
Hospice care does not simply disappear when a patient dies.
Bereavement support is an important part of hospice care and is designed to help families and caregivers as they begin navigating life after a loss.
Grief does not follow a predictable schedule.
It may appear as sadness, anger, exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep, loneliness, relief, guilt, or even moments when you feel relatively normal before another wave of grief arrives.
Support may include bereavement outreach, grief education, resources, support groups, or other services depending on the hospice program and the needs of the family.
You do not have to grieve according to anyone else's timeline.
Knowing What Happens Can Make an Unfamiliar Moment Less Frightening
Understanding what happens after a hospice patient dies at home will never make losing someone easy.
But it can remove some of the uncertainty.
You do not need to know every form that must be completed, every person who must eventually be contacted, or every decision that will need to be made.
In those first moments, remember something much simpler:
Call hospice.
Your hospice team will help guide you through what comes next.
At Oasis Hospice, we support patients and families across our Texas service areas, from Houston to Huntsville, Houston to Livingston, and communities in between, as well as the greater Austin area. Our team is there not only to provide comfort and support during the final stages of life, but also to help families understand what to expect before and after a loss.
Frequently Asked Questions About What Happens After a Hospice Patient Dies at Home
Who do you call first when a hospice patient dies at home?
For an expected death of someone receiving hospice care, call your hospice agency and follow the instructions provided by your care team. Hospice will guide you through the next steps.
Do you call 911 when someone dies at home on hospice?
For an expected hospice death, families should generally contact their hospice agency rather than automatically calling 911. If the death is unexpected, unexplained, or the person is not receiving hospice care, contact 911 or the appropriate local emergency authority.
What happens after a hospice patient dies at home?
After an expected hospice death, the family should contact the hospice agency. The hospice team will guide the family through the required process, which may include confirming or pronouncing the death as permitted, completing documentation, coordinating with the funeral home, and providing instructions about medications and equipment.
Does the hospice nurse call the funeral home?
Procedures can vary by hospice agency and circumstances. The hospice team will explain how the family's selected funeral home should be notified and can help coordinate the next steps.
How soon does the funeral home come after someone dies on hospice?
The timing can vary. After the appropriate procedures have been completed, the funeral home can be contacted and transportation arranged. Families may have an opportunity to spend some time with their loved one before the funeral home arrives.
Can you sit with someone after they die at home?
In many expected hospice deaths, family members may have time to sit with their loved one before the funeral home arrives. Talk with your hospice team about the process and let them know if your family would like some time to say goodbye.
What happens to hospice medications after death?
Families should follow instructions from their hospice agency regarding medication disposal. Medications should never be given to another person.
Who removes hospice equipment after a patient dies?
The medical equipment provider generally coordinates pickup of rented equipment such as hospital beds, oxygen equipment, and wheelchairs. The hospice team can explain what the family should expect.
Does hospice still contact the family after the patient dies?
Hospice programs provide bereavement support to families following a patient's death. The specific type and frequency of support can vary according to the hospice program and the family's needs.
Learn More About End-of-Life
If you're caring for someone with a serious illness, these Oasis Hospice Care resources may also be helpful:
Looking for more helpful information? Explore our Hospice Education, Health & Disease Education, Community Resources, and Emotional Wellness & Support categories for compassionate guidance, practical resources, emotional support and answers to common questions about hospice care, caregiving, chronic illness, and the end-of-life journey.
Why Families Trust Oasis Hospice:
Oasis Hospice has been recognized as one of the highest-rated hospice providers based on Medicare.gov quality ratings. Families searching for compassionate, high-quality hospice support can compare hospice providers and learn more through Medicare.gov Care Compare. For additional education, caregiving guidance, and end-of-life support resources, families may also find helpful information through the Hospice Foundation of America.
From Houston to Huntsville, Houston to Livingston, and communities in between, as well as the greater Austin area, Oasis Hospice is committed to providing compassionate hospice care, guidance, and support for patients and families during life’s most difficult moments. If you or a loved one have questions about hospice support services, Oasis Hospice is here to help families throughout Southeast Texas navigate care with compassion, dignity, and guidance every step of the way. To learn more about our hospice services and family support resources, please visit our website below.
Explore more hospice resources, support, and articles here:
Comments