When Death Occurs in Your Family
If you’ve experienced a death in your family and need to make immediate arrangements we are available to help. You may call us at 501-372-1305. Our staff of professional funeral directors are available 24 hours a day to assist you.
Death at Home: When death occurs at home or in the workplace, a family member or coworker should contact emergency personnel and the persons physician if he or she was under a doctor’s care.
However, if the death occurs in the residence and no one is there at the time of death, the law enforcement will need to be notified and respond to the residence before the deceased may be removed from the home.
If in any case you’re not sure of who to notify or what to do you may call Ruffin and Jarrett funeral home and we will assist you in notifying the proper agencies.
While under supervised care:
When a death occurs in a care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, the professional staff will notify you and the necessary authorities. If the name of the funeral home has been recorded with the facility , the institution will notify the funeral home at the time of the death. The funeral director will contact you immediately after receiving notification from the institution to offer assistance. However, we suggest you contact the funeral home immediately, so you will have the reassurance you need that everything is taken care of properly.
If the loved one was in the care of a hospice program, a hospice representative will give family members instructions and procedures to follow. The corner/medical examiner will be notified by hospice. Following release by the Coroner or medical examiner the hospice facility will contact the funeral home. It is always a good idea for the family to contact us immediately so that we will be aware of the pending call from the hospice.
Ruffin & Jarrett’s staff members are experienced professionals who can provide much of the information you need, emotional support and compassionate guidance.
While you may ask the Funeral Director any questions at this time you will be able to discuss the arrangements in detail later when you meet in person. During the initial call, the funeral director will gather basic information necessary to be able to transport your loved one to the funeral home.
The funeral director may ask you several questions, including whether your loved one made any pre-arrangements. The director will also schedule a date and time for you to meet at the funeral home and let you know what information and documents you should bring with you.
Others you may need to call:
- family
- friends
- clergy or spiritual advisor
Other questions you may have in regards to the death of your loved one:
- Are we required to embalm?
- Do I need to purchase a casket?
- How are cemetery arrangements handled?
- Does the family have to engage the services of a minister?
- What type of service should we have?
By contacting our staff, we will deal with to help answer your questions and assist you in making the appropriate plans. You can reach us at 501-372-1305.
However, one of the best ways to make sure that all of your questions and desires are taking care of is to make a prearrangements. You may contact one of our staff at 501-372-1305 to learn more about prearrangements. Or you may request a LifeCare prearrangement guide by contacting us at 501-372-1305 or writing to Ruffin and Jarrett Funeral Home 1200 Chester St., Little Rock, AR 72202.
Click here for the Pre-Arrangement Form
What to expect when you arrive
When you visit with us, the funeral director will provide you with a price list and guide you through the entire arrangement process explaining how you can create a memorable personal celebration of your loved one’s life.
The arrangement process may include:
- gathering information for the official death certificate
- scheduling the location, date and time of services or events
- selecting a casket, earned or other items
- preparing an obituary notice
- scheduling vehicles
- selecting pallbearers
You may also sign necessary authorizations or make arrangements to have them sign by the appropriate family members.
Feel free to bring any photos, a favorite song, or memorabilia so that you and your funeral director can discuss how you would like your loved one to be remembered. More and more people today choose to personalize the funeral services they plan for the loved ones. A favorite song, a favorite gathering place, even a favorite activity can all become part of the service. Our funeral directors will listen and assist you in planning a loving tribute that captures the spirit of the person whose life you wish to honor. The funeral director will discuss personalization with you during the arrangement conference.
The following checklist will help you remember what information about the deceased and what items will be needed when meeting with a funeral director.
- full legal name
- home address
- Social Security number
- date of birth
- Place of birth
- father’s name
- mother’s maiden name
- veterans discharge papers (Form DD-214)
- recent photograph
- highest education
- occupation
- place of burial
- clothing
- ministers name and phone number
- survivors name and relationship
- insurance policies
Call us at 501-372-1305 and a staff member of Ruffin and Jarrett funeral home will be more than happy to explain all of the options available to you.