What to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Death (Australia)

What to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Death (Australia)

When someone dies, there is often a sense that something must be done immediately. As though time itself has become dangerous. As though waiting might make things worse.

Most of the time, this isn’t true.

The first 24 hours after a death are not for efficiency. They are not for paperwork or decisions made under pressure. They are for orientation. For recognising that a death has occurred, and that the living are still here.

Very little is required of you straight away.

Start by slowing the moment

If the death was expected you are usually allowed time. Time to sit. Time to notice what has changed. Time to be with the person who has died without anyone else directing the pace.

There is no penalty for taking this time.

If the death occurred at home

When someone is under palliative care, the nurse or doctor who knows them can be contacted to attend and formally confirm the death. This does not need to happen instantly. It happens when you are ready.

If the death was unexpected, emergency services may need to attend. This can feel intrusive at a moment that already feels fragile. It does not mean you have done something wrong. It is a procedural response, not a personal one.

You do not need to choose a funeral director straight away

Despite what many people are told, there is no legal requirement to appoint a funeral director in the first hours after a death.

Many families make decisions quickly because they believe delay will cause problems. Often, it is the opposite. Decisions made in shock are rarely the ones people feel settled with later.

You are allowed time to understand your options. You are allowed to ask what is possible. You are allowed to change your mind.

About caring for the body

In most circumstances, the body can remain at home for a period of time, particularly in cooler conditions. The body does not need to be hurried away.

Some families choose to wash or dress the body. Some sit nearby. Some keep vigil. Others step in and out. None of this needs to be done “correctly”.

What matters is not technique. What matters is that the family is not rushed out of their own instincts.

Care in these early hours is often more about presence than action. If you’re wondering what families can safely do in these early hours, you may find my Caring for the Body article helpful.

Administrative tasks can wait

There is very little paperwork that must be completed in the first 24 hours. A death certificate is not issued immediately. Registration happens later.

If someone is urging you to make rapid decisions, you are allowed to ask what truly needs to happen now, and what can wait.

Often, more can wait than people realise.

Support does not have to mean handing everything over

Some families want guidance while remaining closely involved. Others want the practical tasks taken care of. Both are legitimate responses to death.

Good support adapts to the family. It does not override them. It does not hurry them toward a pre-determined outcome.

You are allowed help without obligation.

One thing many families say later

When families look back, they rarely wish they had moved faster. They more often wish they had trusted themselves to slow down.

The early hours matter, not because they must be managed well, but because they are unrepeatable.

You do not need to know everything today. You do not need to decide everything today.

You are allowed to take this one hour at a time.

Once you’ve had a moment with your person, it can help to explore my Funerals, Ceremonies & Choice article to understand what options are available.

If you’re supporting a family or finding your own way through these first hours, I offer guidance without obligation.

Contact Claire on 0406 103 699