The first 24 hours

Do I need to do anything right away?

There is no immediate rush. Unless there is a medical or safety emergency, the next steps can wait for an hour or two while you sit with what has happened. If the death was at home, you are not required to do anything immediately. The body does not need to be moved urgently. You can stay with the person for as long as you need.

If you have called the palliative care after-hours line and they are on their way, wait for them. If you are alone, it is okay to call someone to be with you before making any other calls.

What actually needs to happen in the first 24 hours?

The things that must happen in the first 24 hours are few. First, if the death occurred at home and was expected, contact the GP or palliative care team. They will come to confirm the death and arrange for the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death to be completed. This document is the starting point for everything that follows. Without it, the death cannot be registered and the funeral cannot proceed.

Second, contact a funeral director. You do not have to have chosen one in advance, but you do need to contact one within a day or two at most. The funeral director will come to the home (or hospital or hospice) to transfer the body to their care. They will guide you through the next steps. This is what they do every day. Let them lead.

Everything else, notifying Centrelink, contacting banks, telling extended family and friends, can wait until tomorrow or the day after. Do not try to do everything at once.

What do I do if the death was at home?

If breathing has stopped: confirm that the person has died (no breathing, no pulse, no response). If you are not sure, and there is no DNACPR order or Advance Care Directive in place, call 000. If you have a DNACPR order, do not call 000 unless advised by your palliative care team.

Call the palliative care after-hours line or the GP. They will come to the home to certify the death and complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. If it is outside business hours and the GP cannot be reached, the palliative care team will arrange this.

Call someone to be with you, if you are alone. Call the people closest to the deceased who need to know immediately. This does not have to be everyone yet.

When you are ready, call a funeral director. They will advise you on timing for transferring the body. In most cases, there is no urgent need to transfer the body in the first few hours, and you can take the time you need first.

What do I do if the death was in hospital or hospice?

The nursing or medical staff will be with you. They will handle the immediate medical certification and will be able to guide you on next steps. Ask them: what happens now, who needs to be called, and what you should do before leaving.

You do not have to leave immediately. You are entitled to stay with the person for a period before the body is transferred. Ask the nursing staff for as much time as you need.

The hospital or hospice will contact a funeral director on your behalf if you ask, or you can arrange this yourself. If you have not chosen a funeral director in advance, it is fine to ask the hospital for a recommendation, though you are not obliged to use the one they suggest.

Who do I need to tell today?

The people who need to know today are those who were closest to the deceased and who would be hurt to find out later. A partner's children, a parent's siblings, a close friend who has been involved through the illness.

You do not need to tell everyone today. A brief message to close family and friends that simply says the person has died and that you will be in touch soon is sufficient. You do not owe anyone a long explanation right now. Phone calls are often easier than messages for close family; messages are often easier for wider contacts.

Consider asking one trusted person to help manage the calls and messages, so you are not bearing the full weight of telling people alone.

What can wait until tomorrow or later?

Many things that feel urgent are not urgent. The bank does not need to be called today. Centrelink does not need to know today. The ATO does not need to know today. The will does not need to be read today. Most of the practical administration of an estate can wait a week or two without consequence.

What cannot wait: registering the death (which usually needs to happen within a few days in most states), and the funeral arrangements (which need to be underway within a day or two). Everything else can wait.

When you are ready, the Australian Death Notification Service (deathnotification.gov.au) allows you to notify multiple government agencies and some financial institutions with a single online submission.

How do I look after myself in the first hours?

You are in shock, whether you feel it yet or not. Shock can look like calm efficiency. It can look like numbness. It can look like the inability to stop moving. All of these are normal.

Eat something. Drink water. Sit down. Let someone else make the calls you do not have to make. Accept the help that is offered. If you are alone and need someone with you, call that person now.

The coming days and weeks will require a lot from you. Protecting even a small amount of energy now is not selfish. It is wise.