How are close relatives informed when their loved one dies in hospital?

The patient’s doctor will often notify the next of kin. Sometimes by phone, if it has been expected (as in old age, natural causes) or s/he will call and ask the family to come in to the hospital where the doctor will inform in person.

The hospital has the information to phone the next of kin. The family is notified if the end is near. Friends find out from the family.

In my experiences if another close relative is not actually present at the persons death and they are the informants of extended family, the hospital staff or physician will contact you within a short time of the deceased persons passing.

When my mom died, we received a phone call from the hospital. It was expected but still a shock.

When someone passes and no one is at the bedside, usually the doctor calls the next of kin to let them know. Where I work now, nurses can pronounce someone and we then call the family if they aren’t already there. When we have a patient that looks like they won’t make it, we try to get their family to come in to see them before they pass. Sometimes that’s just not possibly though. It’s a horrible phone call to have to make.

When a friend of mine died, his wife was called and they said she should come in now if she wanted to see him before. He wasn’t likely to last long. I took her in, and they asked us to go to a different room, not his room. This told us he had passed. He died unexpectedly. I think it’s different with people who are expected to die. They might tell you over the phone.

My parents died in a nursing home. With mom I had just gotten home from visiting and either a nurse or female receptionist of some sort called me. With dad my favorite nurse called me. HIs death was more expected.

It would be more acceptable if the family was there when the doctor informs you, but sometimes they’re too inconsiderate, so they inform you over the phone, which is awful. Next of kin is contacted and then told of the situation.

When my grandmother passed away my grandfather called us, and told us.
When my friend died another friend told me.
So, from my experience, the people who are closer to them tell you…

I was driving a truck down I-40 East, at 70 mph,when I received the phone call that my dad had died in the hospital. I almost wrecked.

Whoever is listed as the next of kin contact has had the job of calling a strategic person in each related family and that person spreads word too. With my grandfather, even divorced for decades, my grandmother was his best friend and was the contact for the care home. They didn’t seem to mind she wasn’t a blood relative.

I was notified at home by phone about my fathers death by the doctor. However that was 32 years ago.

A phone call at 3:00 am.

My brother-in-law called at 5:30 in the morning to say that his wife, my sister was gone. My sister, Mom and I called everyone else. This included our remaining 4 brothers and 2 sisters, and 7 aunts, who all informed the remaining family members. By the next day, it was on facebook. 10 months later we found out that an aunt had never informed one segment of the family, and we thought she had. We were so sorry, but I still don’t know how to apologize to my cousin for her being left out of the loop.

My dad passed away at home, and while we were expecting it we still had to let everyone know the arrangements. We hope to do the same for Mom.