When someone you love dies, the world goes quiet and loud at the same time. There is grief — and there is a list of things the world tells you must be done immediately. It can feel impossible.
This guide is meant to help you move through the first 24 hours with a little more clarity. You do not have to do everything at once. You do not have to do anything perfectly. But there are a few things that genuinely need your attention — and knowing what they are can help.
The First Thing: Be with the Moment
Before anything else — if you are able — take a few minutes simply to be present. Death is a threshold. The administrative world will wait a little while. Sit with your loved one if you can. Let yourself feel what you feel.
This is not lost time. This is sacred time.
Notify Those Who Need to Know
If your loved one passed in a care facility or hospital, staff will guide you through the immediate next steps. If they passed at home, you will need to call 911 or the appropriate authorities first.
After that, your focus turns to people:
- Immediate family members who don't yet know
- The person's closest friends, if appropriate in the first hours
- An executor or attorney, if there is a will and an estate to manage
- An employer or caretaking organization, if applicable
You do not need to notify everyone now. A close family member or trusted friend can help manage calls and messages — and that is a good task to delegate right away.
Contact a Funeral Home
You will need to choose a funeral home within the first day, as the funeral home takes custody of the body and helps you plan what comes next. If your loved one had pre-arrangements, those instructions should be in their Life Binder or with their attorney.
If there are no pre-arrangements, any reputable funeral home will walk you through the process. You do not need to make all the decisions immediately — but you do need to make contact.
Ask a trusted family member or friend to help with this if you cannot make the call yourself.
Secure the Home and Important Documents
If your loved one lived alone, someone should secure their home — ensuring it is locked, and that pets or dependents are cared for.
Look for or ask about the location of:
- The will (or the name of their attorney)
- Life insurance policies
- Their Social Security number
- Bank account information
- Outstanding bills or subscriptions
If your loved one used Life Now & Beyond, their Life Binder contains all of this — organized, encrypted, and accessible to their Trusted Access contacts.
Pace Yourself
Grief is exhausting. So is the logistics of loss. You will not get through today perfectly — and that is completely okay. Eat something. Accept help when it is offered. Ask specific people for specific things. The next 72 hours will bring more decisions; you do not need to resolve everything now.
What matters most right now is this: you are not alone, even when it feels that way.
First 24 Hours — Immediate Actions
- ☐ Confirm death with appropriate authorities or care facility
- ☐ Contact immediate family members
- ☐ Choose a funeral home and make initial contact
- ☐ Secure the home of your loved one if they lived alone
- ☐ Locate the will and key documents (or contact their attorney)
- ☐ Delegate notification calls to a trusted family member
- ☐ Arrange care for any dependents or pets
- ☐ Take care of yourself — eat, rest, and accept help
Alice Truman's book When a Loved One Dies walks through each stage of loss in compassionate, practical detail — from the first hours through the weeks that follow. Many families keep it close in their hardest moments.
When a Loved One Dies — by Alice Truman — View on Amazon ↗