 TITLE: Checklist: What to Do When a Loved One Dies CONTENT: Take Care of Immediate Needs\n----------------------------\n*   To begin taking care of the issues surrounding a loved one's death, you'll need a legal pronouncement of death. A medical professional at the hospital, nursing home or health care facility will handle this.\n    *   If your loved one died at home under hospice care, call the hospice coordinator.\n    *   If they died at home without hospice care, call 911 and paramedics will determine the next steps for getting the legal pronouncement of death.\n*   Make sure that any dependents, such as children or pets, are taken care of. While specific future arrangements may be noted in a will or trust, in the aftermath of a death, immediate safety and caretaking are the top priorities.\n*   You'll need to gather important documents and records including:\n    *   Estate-related documents (will, trust, power of attorney, prepayment contract for funeral or cremation)\n    *   Identification (Social Security card or number, driver's license, passport)\n    *   Family records (birth certificate, marriage license, divorce papers, prenuptial agreements, military service\/discharge papers)\n    *   Deeds or titles (real estate deeds, mortgage documents, promissory notes, vehicle titles\/registrations)\n    *   Insurance policies (life, health, auto, disability, property and funeral insurance)\n    *   Financial account information **(**bank accounts, retirement accounts, investment\/brokerage accounts, annuities, credit and debit card accounts)\n    *   Financial records (pension plans, veterans benefits, Social Security benefits, tax returns, income and property tax statements, loan documents)\n    *   Contact information (family and friends; professionals they worked with such as doctors, attorneys, accountants; location of and keys to safety deposit boxes)\n    *   Usernames, passwords and PINs (for online accounts, cellphones, computers and devices)\n*   If your loved one made burial arrangements in advance, contact the funeral home or mortuary. If they didn't have a plan, ask a trusted friend or family member to contact funeral homes and then visit them with you.\n*   Make sure your loved one's home is secure and that any valuables are in a safe place. Unfortunately, burglars sometimes target homes when they know the owner has died.\n*   Contact the post office to have your family member's mail forwarded to your home or the home of the estate executor.\n*   Notify family members, close friends, clergy and your loved one's employer; ask those who are notified to pass the news on to others.\n*   Ask a friend or family member to write and place an obituary for your loved one if you don't feel up to the task. END