Death at home in Québec: who to call and what to do in the first hours
Distinguish an expected death from a sudden situation, obtain the medical declaration and preserve the scene when investigation is possible.
Call 911 immediately. Do not decide on your own that a person has died and do not move the body or objects except to provide first aid as instructed.
Follow the plan for an expected death
For palliative care or a planned death at home, use the number and instructions provided by the care team. A physician or authorized nurse can complete the medical declaration in the appropriate circumstances.
Preserve a sudden-death scene
For a violent, unexplained, unexpected or possibly external-cause death, leave the scene unchanged and follow police or coroner instructions. Anyone may report concerning circumstances to the Coroner’s Office, although the initial notice is generally made by a physician or peace officer.
Obtain the documents
The medical declaration and declaration of death are different documents. The funeral-services business normally helps relatives submit the declaration to the Directeur de l’état civil and arrange authorized transportation.
Record essentials without solving everything now
Choose one contact person, keep responder contact details and address only immediate needs such as dependants, pets, the home and medications. Accounts, benefits and succession can be handled later with the official documents.
Documents related to a death — Québec