First calls and body transfers Funeral Directing Social Sciences Essay

Importance of effectively and professionally handling First Calls and Body Transfers
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Introduction
Coping with death is a crushing experience that triggers strong emotions and grief. It is basically an experience that one can never get used to, especially if it involves a loved one. Immediately after death, there are so many things that the bereaved must do and each detail and task that is completed serves as a reminder for the loss. Exactly whom to contact and how to transport the body depend on the particular circumstances of the death. Nowadays, funeral directors assist individuals to handle the first call as well as transferring the body of the deceased from the location of death to a funeral home. However, in the majority of incidences, the person who witnesses or is near the deceased is responsible for making the first call and transferring the body. This paper examines why it is important to effectively and professionally handle first calls and body transfers.
First Call
Caring for people after death involves handling their bodies with decorum, valuing their wishes, and assisting those important to them. As a result, after an individual dies, it is important to professionally make the first call. The first person or personnel to call will be very crucial in the determination of how the deceased and the whole situation at large, will be handled. The most likely go to people for the first call are either the law enforcement officers, the immediate family, the coroner or the funeral planner. Conventionally, it is accepted that the first call should be handled with care and empathy. However, there is no correct or wrong way of handling the first call because each family and community has its own beliefs and culture about death.
Nevertheless, professionalism requires that news regarding the death of an individual should be shared with the immediate family as soon as possible rather than later (Ombres et al., 2017). In a hospital setting, death is usually verified by a doctor or a registered nurse who has been specifically trained to verify death. As a result, if the person handling the first call is not trained to verify death, he/she should tell the person on the other end of the line that the deceased is understood to have died but actual details will be confirmed as soon as possible. The essence of handling the first call in a professional manner is not just to notify the affected family, but to also offer support, which is a positive aspect.
Although it is important to handle the first call professionally, doing so is a daunting task that has numerous negative aspects. The person handling the first call should control his/her emotions and offer compassion and support. However, death is a sudden experience that causes a flood of overwhelming emotions. As a result, it is extremely difficult even for funeral directors or experienced healthcare providers to control their emotions and natural response while making the first call. Furthermore, the circumstances surrounding an individual’s death determines whom to call first. For instance, in a suicide case or where foul play is suspected, calling police officers is the priority.
However, due to grief and emotions...