The Library
ChecklistGriefStarting over1 minute read
The first week after a death
What usually needs doing, and what can wait.
The first days after a death are often a blur of calls, forms and people. You do not have to do everything at once.
Usually needed soon
- Contact a doctor or the authority that confirms the death, if that has not happened
- Contact a funeral director, or whoever handles burial or cremation where you live
- Tell close family and friends, or ask one person to do it for you
- Find out whether there is a will or written wishes
- Secure the home and any vehicles, and look after pets
Can usually wait a little
- Bank accounts, pensions and insurance
- Clearing belongings
- Selling or moving anything
- Big decisions about where you will live
Look after yourself too
Eat something. Drink water. Sleep if you can. Let people help with food, lifts and phone calls. Write down who you have told and what you have done, because memory gets unreliable in shock.
Rules differ by country. The sheet The first ninety days has a fuller list.
