Letting people know about the death

< Back to Arranging a f...

It can be hard to pass on news of a death. You might find this information below helpful.

If your loved one is in our care, and you are in the position of having to let friends and family know, there are two aspects to bear in mind: the practical challenge of getting in touch with a big group of people, and the emotional challenge of dealing with others’ reactions.

How to tell people

You may feel overwhelmed at the thought of passing on the news of a death, especially if you have a lot of people to tell and you want to tell them quite quickly.

Make decisions about whether to tell people face-to-face or by phone
If you have a large family or wide circle of friends, delegate some of the responsibility for passing on the news to those close to you
If you don’t know how to phrase the news, just keep things simple

Dealing with reactions

In letting people know what has happened, you will have to deal with the grief of others as well as your own feelings.

Be prepared for the fact that people may not respond in the way you might expect, they may be embarrassed or say something awkward.

Advice & Support

We can guide and support you and your loved ones through this difficult time, but grief although normal, can affect people differently and can be tough without the right help.

Speaking to your GP and signing up for bereavement counselling may provide support during these emotionally difficult times.

There are a number of local and national support lines available to help you, whenever you need it:

Cruse

Freephone national helpline offering emotional support to anyone affected by bereavement

Telephone: 0808 808 1677

Email: helpline@cruse.org.uk

Web: www.cruse.org.uk

Samaritans

Confidential emotional support; 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

Telephone: 01481 715515

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Web: www.samaritans.org