bereavement-guide-BMC.pdf

Bereavement Guide

Boston Medical Center

Decedent Affairs Office

Phone: 617-638-5788

Fax: 617-414-5315

Boston Medical Center

Boston University School of Medicine

Boston University School of Public Health

Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine

One Boston Medical Center Place

Boston, MA 02118-2393

Tel: 617 638 8000

Tel: 617 414 5000

www.bmc.org

Dear Family and Friends,

The staff of Boston Medical Center (BMC) is here to help you cope with the loss of your

loved one. We offer assistance every step of the way to answer any questions about what

to do after your loved one has passed away. We assure you that we will make every effort

to find the support you need during this time while being sensitive to your cultural or

religious needs.

We hope the information within these pages helps you during this difficult time.

If you feel you need immediate assistance, please contact the Decedent Affairs Office at

617-638-5788.

Most Sincerely,

Lisa O’Connor RN, BSN, MS, NEA-BC

Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow

Sr. Vice President of Clinical Operations & CNO

BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

Table of Contents

Decedent Affairs Office .............................................. 6



Checklist for Arrangements ........................................ 7

When a Baby Dies ...................................................... 8

Counseling and Grief Support .................................... 9

Recommended Reading & Support........................... 10

Valuables & Personal Belongings............................. 11

Autopsy ..................................................................... 12

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ...................... 13

Death Certificates ...................................................... 14

Funeral Homes .......................................................... 15

Financial and Government Resources....................... 17

Documents

Paperwork ......................................... 18

Phone Numbers ......................................................... 19

Frequently Asked Questions ..................................... 20

Decedent Affairs Office

The Decedent Affairs Office (DAO) serves families as a liaison

among the medical staff, funeral home, and the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

 The DAO is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 The DAO helps families understand the paperwork associated

with a death and explains and secures permission for the

completion of an autopsy.

 When you call the DAO, please have available:

 The deceased’s name

 The location of their death (building, room #)

 Your relationship to the deceased (i.e., mother, sister)

 The deceased's date of birth

 Any questions you have written down in advance

If you have any questions about paperwork, forms, funeral homes,

autopsies, or the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, feel free to

call the DAO at 617-638-5788.

Checklist for Arrangements

When your loved one passes away at BMC your family and doctors

will be notified and you will be asked if you would like to come to the

hospital to see your loved one. We will make every effort to honor

your request for visitation; however, we may need to transport the

patient to the hospital mortuary prior to this. Once you have made

arrangements with a funeral home, a member of its staff will proceed

to the hospital to bring your loved one to their facility.

 Contact other family members, close friends, clergy, the

deceased's employer, family employer, and the children's

school.

 Have family and close friends help you make and answer

phone calls.

 Gather together personal information about the deceased to

take to the funeral home.

 Contact life insurance companies, social security, creditors,

credit card companies, the bank, and your attorney.

For a more detailed list of information to take with you to the funeral

home, have your nurse print the Checklist page from the BMC intranet,

or contact the Decedent Affairs Office at 617-638-5788.

When a Baby Dies

BMC has pastoral care and social work services available 24 hours a

day to assist you in this most difficult time. Please ask your nurse to

contact them or call the Decedent Affairs Office at 617-638-5788.

 If your baby passes away, the nursing staff will create a Memory

Box containing photos, footprints and a lock of hair for this

keepsake. Please ask your nurse about how to receive your

Memory Box.

 There are two options under Massachusetts State Law for

your baby's disposition:

 Option 1: The baby’s family makes arrangements with a

funeral home for burial or cremation.

 Option 2: The mother or father asks BMC to bury or

cremate the baby’s remains. BMC is not able to provide

the ashes to the family after cremation. If the baby is

buried by BMC, the gravesite will be recorded but

unmarked.

 To obtain a Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth (BRS),

contact:

State Registry of Vital Records and Statistics

Attn: CBRS Registrar

150 Mt. Vernon Street

Floor

Dorchester, MA 02125

617-740-2606

Counseling and Grief Support

Everyone experiences grief differently, and grief varies by what the

relationship was between the grieving and the deceased.

Boston

Medical Center (BMC) offers a variety of religious and spiritual support,

as well as counseling to its patients and their families. Within that

framework is grief support provided by psychiatric nurses in the

Emergency Department, social workers, and pastoral care representing a

range of religious denominations. Please do not hesitate to request

support at any time during this difficult process.

 The BMC Pastoral Care Service offers support for all faiths and

spiritual needs. Services are available 24 hours a day. If you would

like pastoral care,

please call or visit

http://www.bmc.org/pastoralcare/contactachaplain.htm

Newton Pavilion: 617-638-6850

Menino Pavilion: 617-414-5336

617-414-7560

 Social workers provide counseling and support for patients and

their families.

To contact a social worker, please call 617-414-

5442 (daytime), or 617-638-5795 #3119 (nights and weekends)

or visit www.bmc.org/socialwork.htm.

 Religious or spiritual support can also be received from places of

worship outside of BMC.

 If you have a child who needs help understanding death, please

call the Good Grief Program at 617-414-4005 for information to

help the child understand and cope with the loss.

The Decedent Affairs Office has compiled a list of books and

websites providing grief support titled, "Recommended Reading and

Support" found on the next page.

For a complete list of grief resources, websites and related

organizations, please ask your nurse to print a copy from the BMC

intranet, or call the Decedent Affairs Office at 617-638-5788.

Recommended Reading & Support

There are many different kinds of sorrow within the scope of grief.

These books and websites may offer the help you need.

BOOKS:

 Death and the Life After, by Billy Graham

 Grief. Comfort for Those Who Grieve and Those Who Want to

Help, by Haddon Robinson

 How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies

, by Therese

A. Rando

 I'm Grieving As Fast As I Can

, by Linda Scones Feinberg

 Living When a Loved One Has Died

, by Earl A. Grollman

 Recovering From the Loss of a Child

, by Katherine Fair Donnelly

 Talking with Children about Death

, by Maria Trozzi

 The Grieving Child

, by Helen Fitzgerald

 Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People,

by Melvin Tinker

 Water Bugs and Dragonflies

, by Doris Stickney

 Gone from My Sight

, by Barbara Karnes

WEB SITES:

 Center for Loss

Life Transition- www.centerforloss.com

 The Compassionate Friends- www.compassionatefriends.org

 Grief Recovery Institute- www.grief

 The Dougy Center- www.dougy.org

 National Center for Death Education-

www.mountida.edu/ncde



CIRCLE-

www.bostonchildhealth.org/pediatricsdept/goodgrief/circle.html

 Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association

http://www.griefwords.com/library/active/massfda_org.asp

 Hospice Foundation of America-

http://www.hospicefoundation.org/grief

 Grief, a Muslim Perspective-

http://www.hospicefoundation.org/uploads/1998raad.pdf

 Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center- http://isbcc.org/al-

marhama/

Valuables & Personal Belongings

Boston Medical Center provides a secured location for patient

valuables during their stay.

To collect your deceased family member's valuables, contact the

security office at 617-414-4444. Photo identification and the

valuables voucher will be required to claim these items.

 There are two kinds of personal property:

 Personal effects, including dentures, glasses, clothing,

hearing aids, etc.

 Valuables, including jewelry, cash, wallets, cell phones,

laptops, etc.

 Valuables are inventoried when the patient is admitted and

then locked in a secure location which requires two keys to

open, similar to safe deposit boxes.

 Notes of the patient’s belongings and the Valuables Voucher

are also recorded in the patient’s medical record when they

are admitted.

 In some instances, clothing or personal belongings may be

disposed of because they are too soiled to be safely cleaned or

laundered.

Autopsy

An autopsy cannot be performed unless authorized by the deceased’s

next-of-kin. In certain circumstances the Office of the Chief Medical

Examiner may require an autopsy. An autopsy is a medical and

scientific procedure intended to establish the cause of death and to

determine the medical and scientific reasons for death. Each autopsy

contributes to the knowledge and understanding of medicine and may

benefit persons still alive. Thus, an autopsy allows someone to

contribute to future generations.

 Legal next-of-kin: When a person dies management of their

remains is handled by their next-of-kin. Massachusetts law

recognizes the following people, in descending order of

priority, to be a person’s next-of-kin: Spouse (if not divorced),

children, grandchildren, parents, siblings (in agreement). A

health care proxy ends when a person dies and the hospital

turns to a patient’s family for instructions.

 If an autopsy is requested, the doctor will ask you for written

permission to perform one. The doctor will be assisted by an

administrator who works with the Decedent Affairs Office.

The DAO can answer any questions before completion of the

form. Contact the DAO at 617-638-5788.

 An autopsy is a surgical procedure that requires incisions into

the patient's body. It will not affect your loved one having an

open casket viewing.

 To get a copy of the autopsy report, contact Medical Records

at 617-414-4201 to request an authorization release form.

Return the form with a copy of executorship papers to identify

you as the Executor/Executrix of the patient's estate. Medical

Records will send you the autopsy report within 30 business

days.

 There is

no charge to perform an autopsy on a Boston

Medical Center patient, and the autopsy is provided free of

charge upon request.

Office of the Chief Medical

Examiner

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical

Examiner (OCME) is a state agency whose mission is to determine

the cause and manner of death in cases under its jurisdiction, pursuant

to Chapter 38 of Massachusetts General Laws. The agency

accomplishes this mission through case investigations, internal and

external examinations, and laboratory analysis.

 In the event that the OCME takes jurisdiction of the deceased

patient, the hospital no longer has authority over post-mortem

care. The body will be transported to OCME at 720 Albany

Street for examination. Subsequent funeral arrangements must

be made through OCME.

 Please be aware that the OCME requires that a family make

a visual identification of a loved one prior to release to a

funeral home.

 The OCME does not require permission to perform an

autopsy.

 Viewing a deceased patient at the OCME is held at their

discretion. Please contact OCME to request permission.

 Requests for autopsy reports must be in writing and signed by

legal next of kin. There is no charge for this report. Send

requests to:

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

720 Albany Street

Boston, MA 02118

Should you have additional questions, please call the OCME

617-

267-6767

Death Certificates

A death certificate is a legal form the certifying physician, the

hospital, and the funeral home complete when someone has died.

 The physician records the name of the deceased, cause of

death, the date and time of death, and his/her name and

medical license number.

 The funeral home completes the death certificate with the

address, education, occupation, Social Security number, and

the details of the deceased's final resting place.

 Once filed at Boston City Hall, the death certificate is then

called a Certified Copy of Death Certificate and can be

obtained by calling Boston City Hall at 617-635-4175, going

to Boston City Hall Suite 213, or by mail:

Boston City Hall

Suite 213

1 City Hall Plaza,

Boston, MA 02201

 Copies from Boston City Hall cost $12.00 per copy. Add

$3.00 if ordering by mail.

If you need a letter documenting a death, please call the Decedent

Affairs Office at 617-638-5788.

Funeral Homes

Below is a partial list of local funeral homes used by BMC. For a

more detailed list, please consult your phone book. The businesses

listed below are not necessarily endorsed by BMC.

Davis Funeral Home 617-427-0828

89 Walnut Avenue, Roxbury, MA

Faggas Funeral Service 617-926-2163

553 Mount Auburn Street, Watertown, MA

Floyd Williams Funeral Home 617-436-5592

490 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA

Hearn Funeral Home 617-323-4300

43 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, MA

JB Johnson Funeral Home 617-445-8150

196 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA

Spencer Funeral Home 617-268-0855

575 E. Broadway, South Boston, MA

Stanetsky Memorial Chapel 781-581-2300

10 Vinnin Street, Salem, MA

Tobin & Mitchell Funeral Home 617-536-1000

666 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA

Wing Fook Funeral Home 617-989-8833

13 Gerard Street, Roxbury, MA

Mayhew Funeral Home 603-279-4007

204 D.W. Highway, Meredith, NH 03253

Peabody Funeral Home 603-432-2801

15 Birch Street, Derry, NH 03038

Funeral Home Guidelines

Funeral Homes and Funeral Directors are licensed to perform a variety of

functions, including organizing the funeral, supporting the family, and

completing necessary paperwork.

 After you have contacted the funeral home, they will transfer the

deceased from BMC to the funeral home.

 The funeral director will meet with the next of kin to make the

funeral arrangements and complete the necessary paperwork.

 When you meet with the funeral director, the details are made

regarding the funeral/religious services, calling hours, burial or

cremation of the deceased. Take with you the deceased's full

name, social security number, parents' names, occupation, and

life insurance policies.

 The Massachusetts Funeral Directors Association provides

information on finding a funeral home in your area. Answers to

frequently asked questions can be found on its web site,

www.massfda.org.

For a more detailed list of what to do after your loved one has died, and

what to take with you to the funeral home, see the Checklist for

Arrangements page in this brochure or call the Decedent Affairs Office

at 617-638-5788.

Financial and Government

Resources

Should you find yourself in a situation requiring assistance, financial or

otherwise, the following organizations may be able to help. As with most

agencies providing assistance, eligibility requirements may vary.

State Assistance

 Department of Transitional Assistance 1-800-249-2007

 This department of welfare may be able to assist if you have

no assets or life insurance and can document need. To fill

out an application, visit any local transitional assistance

office or call. The offices and phone line are staffed Monday

through Friday from 8:45 am to 5:00 pm.

 There are limited resources in Massachusetts to support the

burial or cremation of deceased persons. The Department of

Transitional Assistance provides a small fee to a funeral

director who helps bury or cremate patients with limited

recourses.

Federal Assistance

 Social Security Administration 1-800-772-1213

 Survivor benefits vary; call to check eligibility.

 Veterans Affairs 1-800-827-1000

 The deceased must have served in the U.S. Military.

 Survivor benefits vary; call to check eligibility.

If you have other questions, please call the Decedent Affairs Office, 617-

638-5788.

Documents

Paperwork

Here is a short list of some of the documents that you may encounter:

 Certified Copy of Death Certificate

See Death Certificate section, page 14

 Statement of Goods and Services

Contract for services and merchandise relating to the

disposition of the deceased by the funeral home

 Permission for Autopsy

Required by the Decedent Affairs Office to begin an autopsy

if required

 Release Authorization

Signed by the next of kin, it authorizes the funeral home to

make the transfer of the deceased.

For more information on any of these forms, please call the Decedent

Affairs Office at 617-638-5788.

Phone Numbers

(Arranged Alphabetically)

Boston Medical Center Campus

CIRCLE (Grief Support)……………… 617-414-4005

Decedent Affairs Office ………………. 617 -638-5788

Good Grief Program…………………… 617-414-4005

Heart to Heart (Grief Program)………...617-414-4005

Hospital Operator……………………… 617 -638-8000

617-414-5000

Medical Records………………………. 617-414-4201

Medical School, Anatomic Gift……….. 617-638-4245

Patient Advocate………………………. 617-414- 4970

Pastoral Care Services

Newton……………….

617-638-6850

Menino………………..

617-414-5336

617-414-7560

Psychiatric Nurse……………………… 617-414-7612

Public Safety……………………………617-414-4444

Social Work……………………………. 617-414-5442

617-638-6834

Off BMC Campus

Boston Police Department…………….. 617-343-4250

City Hall Registry Division……………. 617-635-4184

Department of Transitional Assistance...800-249-2007

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner… 617-267-6767

Social Security Administration………...800-772-1213

Veterans Affairs……………………….. 800-827-1000

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does it mean to say that a person is dead?

A: Death may be defined as the termination of life; the cessation

of all vital phenomena without capability of resuscitation, either

in animals or plants. Localized death is going on at all times and

in all parts of the living body. Individual cells and elements are

being shed and replaced by new ones; this process is essential to

life.

General death takes two forms. The whole body dies, then parts

of it die, such as death of the tissues. The entire body dying

means the functions of the brain, circulatory and respiratory

organs and other systems have completely stopped. When a body

dies, it does not all die at the same time. Some tissues take

several hours before they stop working.

Q: Why does a person die?

A: There are many reasons why people die. Scientifically,

persons die because their bodies stopped working, whether it is

from disease, or accident. Religiously, there are other reasons,

depending upon your beliefs. Everything in this world has a

beginning and an end point. For man, death signals the end point

for his time in this world.

Q: Could death have been prevented?

A: BMC’s doctors, nurses and staff made every effort to ensure

the best quality of care for your loved one during their time at

the hospital. The present consensus, both scientific and religious,

indicates that death can never be prevented.

Q: Could death have been delayed?

A: One way of looking at this is realizing that from the moment

of birth, a person is progressing towards death. It is the only

logical destination of the human life cycle. Prolonging life, or

improving the quality of life, is what science and medicine are

working toward. Modern medicine has come a long way in

curing disease and prolonging life from what would have killed a

person 100 years ago, but there is still no cure for dying.

Q: Does the person feel any pain after death?

A: No. A body feels no pain after death. The ability to perceive

pain is only experienced by the living. The systems that sense

pain in the body stop working when a person dies.

Q: What is an autopsy?

A: An autopsy is an examination of a person who has died to

determine or confirm the cause of the death. It can also

determine changes produced by disease.

Q: What happens to the body after it is buried?

A: This question has varying answers depending upon pre-burial

procedures. The body will decompose eventually, but at different

rates. If the body was embalmed before burial, decomposition

will take longer than if the body was not embalmed. The body

may also decompose slowly if the casket and vault were sealed

and not exposed to as many of the earth’s natural elements as a

wooden casket that is not well protected. Once the body starts to

decompose, the tissues break down in varying stages until all

that is left is bone.

Q: How can I respect the dead body?

A: Touching gently and covering the body demonstrates respect.

Q: What is Embalming?

A: Embalming preserves the body for suitable viewing during

funeral services.

Index

Autopsy ........ 12,

13, 14, 21

BOOKS ........................ 10

Boston Police

Department ............... 19

Certificate of Birth .......... 8

Checklist ....................... 18

Chief Medical

Examiner .................. 13

Child ............................... 8

City Hall Registry

Division .................... 14

Counseling ...................... 9

Death Certificate ........... 14

Department of

Transitional

Assistance ................ 17

Documents

Paperwork ................ 18

Funeral Home ............... 15

Grief Program ................. 9

Medical Records ........... 12

Pastoral care ................... 9

Personal Belongings ..... 11

Phone Numbers ............ 19

Recommended

Reading and

Support ..................... 10

Security office .............. 11

Social workers .......... 9, 19

Support ........................... 9

Valuables voucher ........ 11

Veterans Affairs ........... 19

WEB SITES ................. 10

NOTES

Authors and Editors: Chris Andry, PhD, Christian Kiriakos, Sudha

Natarajan, PhD, Ellen Kolton, MPH, Amanda B. Wright, MSW,

LCSW, Marty Kovaks and the Boston Medical Center Patient Family

Advisory Council

Boston Medical Center

One Boston Medical Center Place

Boston, MA 02118

Phone: 617-638-5788

Fax: 617-414-5315