Preparing for a death at home

The person you care for may die at home. This may happen unexpectedly, or it might be something you have planned for.

Even if you know the person you care for is dying, it can be hard to predict when the death will actually happen. 

It may be a good idea to tell family and friends so they can come and say goodbye. You will also need plenty of support for yourself at this time.

What to expect when someone is dying

Your doctor or other health care people can recognise the signs that someone is going to die, and will tell you what is happening.

Everyone is different, but in general people tend to become more confused, eat less and sleep more in the weeks before they die. When they are very near the end, they won’t want to eat or drink anything and may gasp for breath.

For more information on what you might expect, visit I am a Carer - Palliative Care Australia.

What you will need to do when someone dies at home under palliative care

Try to stay calm. You will need to ask a doctor to come and issue a Doctor’s Certificate of Cause of Death, but there’s no rush. Do everything in your own time.

Your doctor or support team will probably have told you what to do if the death was expected. Call the doctor’s surgery and ask them to come to issue the certificate. If the death wasn’t expected or if the person didn’t have a regular doctor, you can contact the police and they can help to arrange the Doctor’s Certificate of Cause of Death. 

There is no rush to move the body. When you are ready, you can contact a funeral director. The funeral director will come as soon as possible and talk with you about what happens next.