When someone you love is dying, it can feel overwhelming to know what to do first. You may be trying to care for them, support your family, make decisions, and manage emotions all at once.
You do not have to figure everything out alone.
This guide is designed to help you understand the immediate steps to take, who to call, and how a funeral home can support your family before and after a death occurs.
If Your Loved One Is Dying Right Now
If your loved one is actively dying, the first step is to make sure they are safe, comfortable, and not alone.
If they are receiving hospice care, call the hospice nurse or hospice provider first. Hospice can guide you through what is happening, help manage symptoms, and explain what to expect.
If your loved one is in a hospital, nursing home, assisted living community, or care facility, notify the nurse or staff immediately. They will follow the facility’s procedures and help contact the appropriate medical professionals.
If your loved one is at home and is not under hospice care, call their doctor, local emergency services, or 911 if there is a medical emergency or you are unsure what to do.
Comfort Care and Hospice Guidance
Hospice and comfort care focus on helping a person remain as peaceful and comfortable as possible near the end of life. The goal is not to cure the illness, but to reduce pain, ease distress, and support both the person who is dying and the family caring for them.
During this time, families may notice changes such as increased sleeping, reduced appetite, changes in breathing, less interest in conversation, or periods of restlessness. These changes can be difficult to witness, but they are often part of the natural dying process.
You can offer comfort by:
- Speaking gently and calmly
- Holding their hand, if welcomed
- Playing soft music or familiar sounds
- Keeping the room peaceful
- Offering lip balm or mouth care, if recommended by hospice
- Following hospice or medical guidance about food, fluids, and medication
- Allowing family members time to say what they need to say
If you are unsure whether something is normal, call hospice or the medical care team. They are there to support you, too.
Before Death Occurs: How a Funeral Home Can Help
Many families do not realize they can call a funeral home before a death occurs. Reaching out early can help reduce stress later and give your family a clearer plan.
A funeral home can help with:
- Answering immediate questions
- Explaining what happens after death
- Coordinating with hospice, a hospital, nursing home, or care facility
- Discussing burial or cremation options
- Reviewing advance planning choices
- Gathering basic information needed for arrangements
- Helping families understand transportation after death
- Providing guidance for obituary, service, or memorial planning
- Offering bereavement support resources
Calling ahead does not mean you are giving up. It simply means your family will know who to call and what to expect when the time comes.
When Death Has Occurred
If your loved one was under hospice care, call hospice first. A hospice nurse will typically come to the home or facility, confirm the death, and guide you through the next steps.
If your loved one was in a hospital, nursing home, or care facility, the staff will help with the required notifications and paperwork.
After the death has been confirmed by the appropriate medical professional, the funeral home can be contacted to bring your loved one into their care.
When you call the funeral home, they may ask for:
- Your loved one’s full name
- Their location
- Your name and relationship to the person who died
- A callback number
- Whether hospice, a doctor, or facility staff has been contacted
- Whether burial, cremation, or another option is being considered
- Any prearrangements or written wishes
It is okay if you do not have all the answers yet. The funeral home will guide you one step at a time.
Transportation Into the Funeral Home’s Care
Once the death has been properly confirmed and the funeral home has been contacted, transportation can be arranged.
The funeral home will coordinate the transfer from the home, hospital, hospice facility, nursing home, assisted living community, or other location.
Families do not need to manage this process alone. The funeral home will explain what happens next and when arrangements can be made.
Advance Planning Support
If your loved one is seriously ill but has not yet died, advance planning can bring peace of mind to the entire family.
Advance planning may include:
- Discussing burial or cremation preferences
- Choosing a funeral, memorial, or celebration of life service
- Gathering important personal information
- Selecting a cemetery, urn, or memorial options
- Talking through religious, cultural, or family traditions
- Reviewing veteran benefits, if applicable
- Making financial arrangements
- Writing down final wishes
Even a simple conversation can help prevent confusion later.
Bereavement and Emotional Support
Grief can begin before a death occurs. This is sometimes called anticipatory grief, and it is common for family members to feel sadness, fear, exhaustion, guilt, anger, or numbness.
Please remember that you do not have to be “strong” every moment. It is okay to ask for help.
Support may come from:
- Hospice bereavement programs
- Faith leaders or spiritual care providers
- Grief counselors
- Support groups
- Trusted friends or family members
- Community grief resources
- Your funeral home’s aftercare or bereavement support
If you are in emotional distress, feel overwhelmed, or are worried about your safety or someone else’s safety, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
Contact the Funeral Home
If your loved one is near the end of life, or if a death has occurred, for immediate assistance please call us directly at (951) 898-0452
We are here to help you understand what to do next.
Funeral Home Name: Walker Family Funeral Services
Funeral Home Website: 815 S. Main Street, Corona, CA 92879
Website: https://
Email: info@walkerfamilyfunera
For immediate assistance after a death, please call us directly at (951) 898-0452
Emergency and Emotional Support Resources
For a medical emergency: Call 911
For emotional crisis or urgent mental health support: Call or text 988, or Dial 211 to reach Community Connect
For hospice-related concerns: Call your hospice provider or hospice nurse
For non-emergency medical questions: Contact your loved one’s doctor or care team
For funeral arrangements or transportation after death: Call Walker Family Funeral Services at (951) 898-0452
A Final Word
When someone you love is dying, there may be many decisions ahead, but you do not have to handle them all at once.
Start with the next right step.
Call hospice or your care team if your loved one is still living. Call the funeral home once death has occurred or if you want help planning ahead.
And if you are overwhelmed emotionally, reach out for support.
We are here to help your family with compassion, clarity, and care.