Hospital

If your family member has died in hospital your funeral director will liaise with the hospital for necessary certificates for burial or cremation. The hospital will need to know whether the funeral service will be a burial or cremation so that they can prepare the correct documents.

Nursing Home or Aged Care Facility

If the death has occurred in a nursing home or other care facility, it is most likely that the funeral director will need to transfer the body to their mortuary without delay. 

This is because most such facilities do not have a refrigerated mortuary. It is also why, on admission to a care facility, you may have been asked to provide details of your chosen funeral director. In the event that death occurs and you cannot be contacted, staff will be able to call your chosen funeral director and make immediate arrangements to transfer the body from the facility to the funeral director's premises.

The funeral director will also liaise with the treating doctor to issue necessary documents for burial or cremation.

At home

If the death was expected, your doctor has probably discussed with you what will happen at the time of death. He or she should visit your home and will leave a certificate with you, which your funeral director will collect when they arrive to transfer your family member from home to their mortuary.

If the death was unexpected it is possible that the Coroner may need to be involved. Phone for an ambulance immediately. Once the ambulance crew arrives at your home they will either contact your family doctor or the Police.

If required, the Police will make arrangements with the Coroner's office to transfer your family member from home to a Coroner's mortuary. 

Your funeral director will welcome your call at any time during this process and they will offer advice on who to contact and the procedures involved. It is important to note that much of the funeral arrangement process can be carried out prior to the completion of the coroner's role and it is prudent that contact be made with your funeral director as soon as possible. Your funeral director will then liaise with the coroner regarding when the funeral can be held.

The law dictates the circumstances in which the coroner must be involved but generally a coronial investigation must be carried out when a person dies in suspicious or unknown circumstances or the person has not been seen by a doctor for more than six months.

There is no right or wrong answer to the question - to view or not to view. Whilst it is often perceived as an unpleasant experience, viewing the deceased in a calm and tranquil environment can be very therapeutic and helpful to the grieving process. One family member may have a real need to view, another may wish to hold on to living memories. Either way, this should be discussed openly with your funeral director and close family members.

For many people, the funeral process is not complete until they have taken the opportunity to erect a memorial. This may be as simple as scattering ashes at a memorable location, placing a plaque in a cemetery garden or organising a formal monument over a grave. There are many options open to you. Most often the decisions do not need to be made until after the funeral has taken place.  Don’t hesitate to contact us for advice.

All members of the FDA of NSW must maintain access to a Registered Mortuary as per Local Government Act 1993 and hold council approval to operate a funeral business.

A requirement of membership to the FDA of NSW is that each company maintains its own premises and vehicles appropriate to a professional funeral business, ensuring your loved one is cared for with dignity and respect.

Members of the FDA of NSW meet regularly to discuss issues pertinent to the funeral profession and therefore are able to keep up to date with current funeral practices, trends and changes.

Members of this Association regularly participate in workshops and seminars, sometimes involving doctors, nurses and psychiatrists, to increase their understanding and knowledge of the process of grieving, therefore enabling them to render better service to their clients.

FDA of NSW members are required to follow a strict code of ethics and are committed to providing their clients with compassionate, professional service at reasonable prices, whilst adhering to current NSW legislation.

In choosing an FDA of NSW member, you can be assured of a high standard of conduct and integrity. Your FDA funeral director will help you to create a service reflective of your personal needs and will always speak openly and honestly with you regarding all aspects of the service they provide.

A single focus – We are devoted to providing the best service possible, to satisfy the needs of our friends and neighbours, without distraction from corporate mandates.

Personal pride – This is our business in our community.

A long-term commitment – This is where we live and where we plan to stay. When you need us, we’ll be here.

A focus on families – We answer to you, not shareholders and understand that our business will only do well if we serve you well.

Knowledge of ethnic traditions – Funeral traditions vary greatly across our community. As we are local, we know how to respond to the different local cultural groups.

An investment in the community – Whenever possible, we choose to do business with other locally owned and operated businesses.

A personal relationship – We have been operating for over 100 years and have developed a personal relationship with many families and groups in the community. This is why we are able to provide a sensitive, individualised family service.