Calling the coroner when hospice patients die?

[Blackcat99]

Do all the states require that a coroner be called when a hospice patient dies?

When I have a hospice patient die on night shift I have to call the coroner at 6am. I thought the reason a coroner is called is only if a "suspicious" death occurs? There's plenty of "suspicious"deaths in this town already. Why do I have to call and wake up the hard-working coroner for an "expected" death?

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

I have never called the coroner, only the family and the funeral home....

Do all the states require that a coroner be called when a hospice patient dies?

When I have a hospice patient die on night shift I have to call the coroner at 6am. I thought the reason a coroner is called is only if a "suspicious" death occurs? There's plenty of "suspicious"deaths in this town already. Why do I have to call and wake up the hard-working coroner for an "expected" death?

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Not in PA. Only the funeral home for hospice deaths.

[lpn1313]

The only reasons we call the coroner:

1. The resident is in the facility less than 24 hours

2. There has been a fracture within the last year.

I have had to call the coroner for a hospice patient, but the MD had not been in to see her before she passed away- she had only been in the facility 16 hours. Other than that we just call family and funeral home.

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Some counties in Ohio require it.

renerian

[doodlemom]

Some counties in TX require this too.

[suebird3]

The past 2 patients we've had die while on Hospice had a Hospice nurse with them. We let them handle the coroner, but the facility calls the M.D.

[CHATSDALE]

we have to call the parish sheriff dept and they send out a deputy to take a report..the coroner never comes out . the deputies have said that he doesn't even go to a er when there has been a suspicous death

we call family, sheriff's dept, md on call, and the funeral home of families choice..which is often listed but sometimes it is not and we have to ask family at this time to decide on a funeral home...

this is true of all residents . whether dnr or not

[soapynurse@adel]

In Virginia, RN's out in the field do the pronouncing. We also made all other necessary calls and disposed of drugs. If the patient is in the hospital, a house physician can do it. The facility usually makes the calls, but often they forget to call hospice about the death. I have made visits to the hospital when they had failed to call us.....urghhhhhh.

Keep up the good work.

Alice in VA

[aimeee, BSN, RN]

We only need to notify the funeral home, give them the time of death, and notify the physician. Many physician's request they not be notified until the next business day.

[austin heart, BSN, RN]

We are required to call the coroner on ALL deaths before body is released to the funeral home. I work in a hospital in Travis county.

[Blackcat99]

Thanks all for your messages. It sounds like every state has it's different rules. I was shocked to hear that in Louisiana they have to call the sheriff and that the sheriff has to come to the facility to make a report!!!!!