What are the procedures from the time of death to the time of the funeral?

Old age, sickness and death are all necessary stages of life. Most people will hold a funeral after death to allow the surviving family members to commemorate the deceased and express their blessings to him/her. With the exception of a few special cases, most people need a period of time before a funeral or burial can be held. According to the laws of Hong Kong, the body of a person cannot be kept in the residence of any person for more than 48 hours, therefore, the body of a deceased person should be properly stored before a funeral is held, so that the funeral can be held in a proper manner. Read this article now to learn more about the procedures that need to be carried out from the time of death to the official funeral, and the related matters that need to be noted.

How to store your remains after death?

The place and procedures for storing the body of a deceased person vary according to the circumstances of the deceased's death in different places.

Hospitalized for more than 24 hours

A person who has been admitted to a hospital for more than 24 hours is legally considered to have died of natural causes and his/her body will be deposited in the mortuary of the hospital where he/she passed away. In the case of death in a public hospital, such as Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the body will be deposited in the mortuary of the hospital (if there is insufficient space in the mortuary, the body will be relocated to the mortuary of a nearby public hospital where space is available) until the day of the family's funeral, cremation, etc., when the body will be claimed in the mortuary where the body was deposited.

For those who passed away in private hospitals, their bodies will also be placed in the hospital mortuaries. However, if the bodies are stored in the mortuaries of private hospitals, they are generally required to pay for the storage charges (please check with the hospitals for the charges of the mortuaries of private hospitals). If you are worried that the charges of private hospital mortuaries may increase the burden of after-death expenses, you may also consider moving the body to the mortuary facilities of the Jockey Club Hospice House or Bradbury Hospice, where the body can be stored at a lower mortuary charge, and then moved to the venue of the funeral on the day of the funeral, so as to alleviate the burden of after-death expenses.

Deceased who have been hospitalized for less than 24 hours

According to the laws of Hong Kong, a person who has been admitted to hospital for less than 24 hours is regarded as having died of “unnatural causes”. All unnatural deaths are subject to autopsy and other procedures before the Coroner's Ordinance determines the cause of death. If the body of a deceased person is taken to a hospital and is unable to be resuscitated, the body will be deposited in the hospital mortuary. If the body of a deceased person is certified to have passed away before being taken to the hospital, the body will be transferred to public mortuaries in Victoria, Foo Shan and Kwai Chung under the exemption of the forensic pathology service of the Department of Health, where relatives will go to claim the body and deal with the after-death matters, such as the funeral ceremony.

Passing away at home

Home death is an option that allows the dying person to live out the last stage of his/her life in his/her own home, in a familiar environment. Therefore, even though the dying person is not admitted to a hospital, he/she is still regarded as having died naturally. For patients who choose to die at home, their family members can contact the funeral service company, who will arrange for the transfer of the body to the “freezer” storage compartment for temporary storage until arrangements are made for the funeral, cremation furnace and burial site, and then the body will be transferred to the funeral venue.

Procedures after death and funeral service

From the time of death to the official funeral service, the following steps should be taken:

Storage of body in mortuary

After the death of a person, the body of the deceased will be stored by the mortuary attendant in a refrigerated facility specially designed for temporary storage of the body. According to the international standard, the body of the deceased should be stored in a refrigerated facility at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, and the body should be preserved by the family members before arranging for the funeral. It is important to note that keeping the body in a refrigerated facility can only slow down the rate of decomposition of the body, and the later the funeral and other after-death matters are dealt with, the greater the changes in the body will be. Therefore, it is generally recommended that family members deal with the after-death matters as soon as possible, so that family members and friends can bid farewell to the deceased properly before there are any changes in the appearance and appearance of the body.

Claiming the body from the mortuary by family members

On the day of the funeral, family members should bring along the identity card of the person claiming the body, the identity card of the deceased and the Certificate of Body Recovery to the hospital mortuary or public mortuary where the body is kept to complete the formalities for claiming the body. When the body is claimed, the mortuary officer and other mortuary staff working in the mortuary will take the family into the cold storage facility where the body is kept to confirm the identity of the body by identifying the name plate and the appearance of the body. After the identity of the body is verified, the body will be transferred to a funeral parlor or a church where the funeral service will be held.

Funeral parlors have more space than churches and hospital chapels, and can allow make-up artists to put make-up and life jacket on the body in the funeral parlor, so the body will be transferred to the funeral parlor directly after identification; however, if you choose to go out of the hospital or have a western-style funeral in a church, you may need to do a simple make-up in the mortuary before the transfer of the body.

Pallbearers Transferring the Body to the Funeral Venue

After the body has been claimed, the pallbearers will be responsible for transferring the body to the funeral venue. Pallbearers will ensure that the body is properly protected during the transfer process. In the case of a funeral service held at a funeral parlour, for example, after the body is safely transferred to the funeral parlour, the body make-up artist will do the make-up and tidy up the body, the liturgist will dress the family members in mourning clothes, and the relevant funeral rites will be performed in order.

How long does it normally take from the time of death to the time of funeral?

The length of time from death to funeral service varies. Regarding the handling of different after-death matters, experience shows that if all the funeral preparation procedures can be carried out smoothly, it takes about one month from the time of death, to the storage of the body in the mortuary, to the holding of the funeral service. The actual time required may vary depending on different factors.

The main reasons for the longer time required

Arrangement of Funeral Related Matters: It takes time to choose the funeral company, arrange the funeral venue, etc. In addition, if the funeral hall is not enough, or need to wait for the day when the funeral hall is available, the funeral and other after-death matters can be arranged.

Selection of date: Some people will arrange for the funeral to be held on an auspicious date according to the traditional calendar. When selecting the date, they will usually consider the eight characters of the relatives, as well as the auspicious and inauspicious dates in the Lunar Calendar, etc., and select a date suitable for holding the funeral, which will not clash with the relatives, in order to hold the funeral.

Crematorium Booking: Family members may book a crematorium session within the next 15 days from the following day with the relevant documents. If the family members are unable to book a session when they intend to make the booking, it may take a longer time than normal from the time of death to the completion of the funeral service.

Matters to be dealt with when rescheduling a funeral

If you need to change the date of funeral or cremation after the funeral has been arranged because your relatives or friends from overseas are unable to attend the funeral, you may need to pay an additional booking fee. For example, if you have made a booking for a cremator under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, if you need to cancel the booking and make another booking for the use of cremator, you will not be able to get a refund of the booking fee of $1,220, so you will need to book another booking for the use of the cremator and pay a separate fee for that booking; in addition, you should notify florists, funeral parlors and other stakeholders assisting in the preparation of funeral and after-death services of the funeral as early as possible to avoid disruption of the funeral and other after-death services. In addition, if the funeral service needs to be rescheduled, you should notify the florist who prepares the funeral flowers, the funeral parlor and other stakeholders who assist in the preparation of the funeral service as soon as possible, so as to avoid any disruption to the funeral service and other after-death services.