Tips on ensuring swift transfer of deceased patients

This article was provided by the BAO to the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) to share with hospitals. – Two of two articles / Read Article 1

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) offers a few tips on quickly and properly transferring deceased patients from the hospital to funeral professionals.

During the current increasing death rate in the COVID-19 pandemic, the BAO wants to ensure funeral staff receive decedents as soon as possible to support hospital staff in caring for the living.

We hope this second short BAO article provides useful information to hospital staff as you continue to provide excellent care.  Here are some suggestions for hospitals in managing decedents:

• Please speak to families when the patient is first admitted and have them identify a funeral provider to include in the file, in the event death occurs.
• Let families know this is a standard question during the pandemic and that if death occurs, they will have to contact a funeral home within one hour.
• If death does occur, hospital staff instruct the family to contact the funeral home within the hour. Families can also be advised that the funeral professional will help in obtaining social assistance for the funeral costs, and that usually no money is required right away.
• Please have the Medical Certificate of Death (MCOD) completed as soon as possible for the funeral/transfer staff before they arrive. The MCOD is a critical document required for them to take the decedent into their care.
• Hospitals could consider having the MCOD partially completed in advance and attached to the patient’s chart if/when needed.
• Clearing decedents from hospital morgues is more important now.

This article was provided by the BAO to the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) to share with hospitals. – Two of two articles / Read Article 1

About the BAO

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) is a government delegated administrative authority administering provisions of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA) on behalf of the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Responsible for protection of the public interest, the BAO regulates and supports licensed: funeral establishment operators, directors and preplanners; cemetery, crematorium and alternative disposition operators; transfer service operators; and bereavement sector sales representatives across Ontario. The BAO is wholly funded by licensee fees (not tax dollars).