When the person you are caring for dies it can be very difficult, because you are coping with their loss as well as a huge change to your day-to-day routine. Here is some advice on how to manage this.
Some important tasks
Some key things need to happen after the person has died. If you need support to do them,
consider asking help from a whānau–family member or a close friend. It can be harder to
focus when you are grieving.
A death must be registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) within 3 working
days of the person’s burial or cremation. It’s free to register a death. A funeral director
will usually do this and request a formal death certificate. If a funeral director isn’t being
used, someone will need to register the death with Births, Deaths and Marriages, using
the required form.
A formal death certificate usually takes around 10 days after the death is registered.
Banks, insurance companies, and other organisations may ask to see copies of the
deceased person’s death certificate. For example, before a bank account is unfrozen
and funds released, or an insurance pay-out is made. The person’s Executor/s will also
need to have a copy. It can be helpful to make several copies of the certificate to have
ready, if needed.
Contact the deceased person’s lawyer and/or executor/s after their burial or cremation.
It is important not to put this off in case there are any issues with the Will. You might be
the executor yourself. Seeing a lawyer can assist you to be clear about all you need to
do to settle the person’s estate and see their wishes followed. It can be a big job.
If you are not an executor, ask the executor/s if there are any tasks you need to do, or to
help them with. For example, giving them any documents or information they need.
If you shared a bank account with the person who has died, visit your bank to arrange
the transfer of money from joint ownership to single ownership.
Any joint insurance policies, joint service agreements, or joint memberships will need to
be closed or changed to your name only. Make a list and work through them, step by step.
Make a list of other things that may need to be done. Who needs to be contacted? What
needs sorting? There is usually no need to rush these, and you can ask others to help.
When your caring for the person ends, there will naturally be big changes for you.
Grieving isn’t easy either, so pace yourself. Take plenty of time to rest when you can.
Other useful resources: