stage: 6

When your parent with dementia dies in a care home — what happens next and what can wait

When a parent with dementia dies in a care home, the care home staff will usually be the first to contact you. If you are not present when the death occurs, take time before you arrive rather than rushing — there is rarely urgency. When you arrive you will have time to sit with your parent before anything else happens. A doctor or nurse will need to certify the death. The care home will guide you through the immediate practicalities, including what needs to happen before the body can be moved. You will need to register the death at the local register office within five days in England and Wales. The care home will typically hold your parent's belongings until you are ready to collect them — there is no pressure to take everything immediately. Allow yourself time before making further decisions.