After a death in hospice or a San Diego County hospital, the hospice nurse or hospital staff confirms the death, you choose a licensed cremation provider, and that provider handles the release, death certificate, cremation permit and cremation. With Beyond Cremations, all of it is arranged by phone and signed electronically, anywhere in San Diego County.
If your loved one dies at home under hospice care
- Call the hospice agency first, not 911. The hospice team will send a nurse to the home to confirm the death and contact the physician who signs the medical part of the death certificate.
- Take the time you need. Many families sit with their loved one, call relatives or say a prayer before anything else happens. That is normal and allowed.
- Call the cremation provider when you are ready. When you call Beyond Cremations, we arrange for your loved one to be brought into our care from the home.
If your loved one dies in the hospital
In a hospital, the process runs through the decedent affairs office (sometimes called patient affairs). Staff will ask for the name of your cremation provider; you can give it right away or call back once you decide. At Beyond Cremations, we coordinate the release with decedent affairs for you, so you do not need to go back to the hospital to sign anything for us. Personal belongings are usually handled by the nursing unit or decedent affairs.
Families near our Sorrento Valley office often call us after a death at Scripps Green Hospital, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla or Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego Health.
What the cremation provider handles
- Brings your loved one into its care from the home, hospice facility or hospital.
- Collects the information needed for the death certificate.
- Works with the physician to complete the death certificate and obtains the permit required before cremation.
- Has the legally authorized family member sign the cremation authorization.
- Performs the cremation and returns the remains to the family.
At Beyond Cremations, every form is signed electronically, and transportation anywhere in San Diego County is included.
What it costs
Direct cremation with Beyond Cremations is $950. That includes funeral director fees, one cremation permit, refrigeration for up to 5 days, bringing your loved one to our crematory, a fiberboard container, cremation up to 300 lbs, scattering at sea at no cost, and a plastic urn. Certified death certificates are $26 each, and home delivery of the urn is $95. See our pricing page.
If hospice has already begun
- Choose the cremation provider ahead of time and give the name to the hospice team.
- Write down the basics for the death certificate: full legal name, date and place of birth, Social Security number and parents’ names.
- Talk about wishes while there is time, such as scattering at sea or keeping the urn at home.
None of this requires paying anything in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we have to call the cremation provider right away after a hospice death? No. Call the hospice agency first, then call us when your family is ready.
Do we need to go to the hospital or an office to sign papers? Not with Beyond Cremations. We work with decedent affairs directly, and all forms are signed electronically.
Is there an extra charge to bring my loved one from a San Diego County hospital? No. Transportation anywhere in San Diego County is included in the $950.
Questions about a specific situation? Call (844) 954-1214, 24 hours a day.
Related: Direct Cremation Pricing · Areas We Serve in San Diego County