Death in hospital

A death in hospital may or may not have been expected. Whether the person has died from a chronic (ongoing) illness or a sudden event, hospital staff are sympathetic and are available to answer any questions or explain anything you, the family member or carer, don’t understand.

You should feel free to stay at the hospital for as long as you wish and talk to the staff. Let the hospital staff know when you are ready to leave. The hospital will care for the deceased person until plans have been made with your chosen funeral director. The doctor will advise you if the death requires the attention of the coroner.

Role of the coroner for a death in hospital

The State coroner investigates a death if the death appears to have:

• been unexpected, unnatural or violent
• resulted, directly or indirectly, from an accident or injury
• occurred during a medical procedure.

An autopsy may be needed to find out why the person died.

The coroner requires that the person’s body be left exactly as it was at the time of death. The Coroner’s Office arranges for the deceased person to be taken to the Coronial Services Centre. You can request that no autopsy be conducted. This request should be directed straight to the Coroner's Office.

After a death in hospital

When you get home, you may want to contact family and friends. It is good to seek company and support at this time. Hospital staff members can contact people for you if you wish. The hospital also has social workers and pastoral care staff who can help you. Ask the hospital staff how to contact them.

Organising the funeral

You may need to check if a prepaid funeral has been organised or if there were special requests in regard to the funeral. If there are no existing plans, you will need to contact the funeral director of your choice. A list of funeral directors can be found by searching online. Hospital staff, social workers and pastoral care workers may also be able to give you advice.

Organising a funeral is an important part of grieving, so it is worth spending time to plan the funeral that you and the deceased person would want. If you need help, the funeral director can take care of all aspects of the funeral, such as ordering flowers, putting notices in the newspaper and handling the legal paperwork for either burial or cremation.

Grieving after a death in hospital

No one can tell you how to grieve. Grief is a unique experience. It’s a journey you take, and no two people will grieve the same way.

Grief does not have a time line, and you may feel a wide range of emotions. These may include shock, sadness, numbness, anger, guilt, fear, anxiety, relief and a profound sense of aloneness. The feeling of loss doesn’t go away, but the intensity will ease.

It may help to ask for support from family and friends. Make sure that you take care of your diet and get enough rest.

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Palliative Care Advice Service
• Hospital staff, including social workers
• Coroners Court of Victoria Tel. 1300 309 519
• Your local community health centre, hospital or palliative care service
• A trained bereavement counsellor
• Grief Australia – bereavement counselling and support services Tel. (03) 9265 2100 or 1800 642 066
• Griefline Free loss and grief telephone counselling services, 6 am to midnight, 7 days a week. Toll free helpline: 1300 845 745
• Nurse-on-Call Tel. 1300 60 60 24 – for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days)
• The Compassionate Friends Victoria – grief support after the death of a son, daughter, brother or sister Tel. (03) 9888 4944 or 1300 064 068
• Mercy Grief Services – for people living in the western region of Melbourne Tel. (03) 9313 5700
• Hope Bereavement Care – for people living in the Barwon region Tel. (03) 4215 3358
• Kids Helpline – telephone counselling Tel. 1800 551 800 (24 hours, 7 days)
• Lifeline – crisis support and suicide prevention services Tel. 13 11 14 (24 hours, 7 days)
• MensLine Australia Tel. 1300 789 978 (24 hours, 7 days)
• Parentline Victoria Tel. 13 22 89 (8 am to 12 midnight, 7 days a week)
• SuicideLine Victoria Tel. 1300 651 251 – for counselling, crisis intervention, information and referral (24 hours, 7 days)
• Red Nose Grief and Loss Tel. 1300 308 307 (24 hours, 7 days)
• Very Special Kids (Bereavement Support Program) Tel. (03) 9804 6253 or 1800 888 875
• Victims of Crime Helpline Tel. 1800 819 817
• Road Trauma Support Services Victoria Tel. (03) 8877 6900 or 1300 367 797
• Amber Community – road incident support and education Tel. (03) 8877 6900 or 1300 367 797
• Support After Suicide Tel. (03) 9421 7640
• Australian Funeral Directors Association