Funeral Homes

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Do all y'all require every resident to have a funeral home listed on the face sheet? I've worked in many places and it seems a usual thing to do. The head of rehab at my facility thinks it's a bad idea to ask short term people to think about death. I think that anyone, short or long term, could drop dead at any moment and then what do we do?

We just had a man die...no family....phone number of the (not invoked) health care proxy disconnected...no funeral home listed in the chart.

Tomorrow I am going through every chart in the building and if the resident doesn't have a funeral home listed, I am going to have Social Services call and get the name of one...yikes.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

We do.

[tewdles, RN]

not unreasonable at all to ask a patient upon admission...particularly elderly persons or those in poor health...

[debRN0417]

Seems to me it would be easier to take care of all that on admission instead of having to have the family figure that out after the fact when emotions are high....

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

We used to, but come to think of it ..I don't see it printed any more. I need to ask about this one. I normally approach the family to ask them when death occurs and then make the calls.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

Ive been complaining for 2 months that SS only puts one contact phone number on face sheets at admission. Have explained over & over that I can't even let my kid go across time for a field tip that lasts 2 hours without my number, husband number and emergency contact.

Sure enough, just last week, nurse calls at 1:30AM because the new admit (short term rehab mind you) is circling the drain and the one number listed won't work! Told the nurse to call the SS or ED at home & wake them up to come find another number.

(But of course, I couldn't stick to my guns & found myself searching the phone book from home in the middle of the night - yuck).

You could find yourself with the same situation with not having funeral homes listed.

[Michigan]

Ww also post on face sheet. Of course when family or RP is called to be informed of the RS death, the funeral home is confirmed at the time. IMO makes it much easier for all involved.

[BoopetteRN]

We ask when they are admitted for a funeral home, and then upon death, check to ensure no changes have been made before we call for pick up

[caliotter3]

Our face sheets used to have the funeral home listed. Very good idea to ask if nothing has changed when the time comes.

[noc4senuf]

We have them on for admits, verified at their 5 day discharge conference (short-term stay) and qrtly for long-term