Question: When a natural death occurs at home or anywhere outside of a care home, are police required to attend? If not, who do we call?
Answer: Although this is not a topic that many want to think about, it can be helpful for people to be prepared for what to do should a loved one pass away at home.
In B.C., the Coroner’s Act defines when either the coroner or police must be notified of a person’s death. In addition to more obvious circumstances such as when violence is involved, the coroner or police must also be notified if someone dies “suddenly and unexpectedly, when the person was apparently in good health,” or if they die “from disease, sickness or unknown cause, for which the person was not treated by a medical practitioner.” If someone is in palliative care and chooses to spend their final days at home, health care staff will provide guidance to the family, and police may not be required; however, in all other circumstances – even if someone has ongoing health issues but dies unexpectedly – the coroner or police do need to be contacted.
If there is any doubt about whether the person can be resuscitated, call 911 and ask for an ambulance. Paramedics will contact police for you if the person cannot be resuscitated. Alternatively, if the person is obviously deceased, you can call police directly.
When you call police, an officer will come by to speak with you and get some information about the deceased’s medical history and the circumstances of their death. Police will notify the coroner, who may also attend. A victim services worker may also come with the police officer, to speak with family and offer support. If the death appears to be natural, police or the coroner will arrange for the deceased to be transported to a funeral home, so that arrangements can be made at a later date.
Seeing a deceased loved one can be a troubling experience. Although the cause of death might be natural, the initial stages of the grieving process will likely not feel natural at all. Accept offers of support from friends and family, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. As police officers, we’re also there to help you, and we can notify another family member on your behalf, or arrange for a friend to stay with you. Having an understanding about what to do if a loved one dies can help you to have answers to questions ahead of time, and to instead focus on remembering and celebrating the life of the person who has passed.
(Question the Constable! is a segment the Sunshine Coast RCMP features bi-weekly. Residents can email or Tweet their questions related to the RCMP on the Coast, and each week one question will be answered. Submit questions via email: [email protected] OR via Twitter: @COAST_RCMP.)
– Sunshine Coast RCMP
