NBE Funeral Service Director

Answer: B - A funeral director should ascertain first whether a release for the body has been signed.

When a first call regarding funeral services comes from a healthcare facility, the funeral director should determine if a release form has been signed. The release form for the deceased’s remain is important in order for the funeral home to take possession of the body, under direction of the next of kin. A consent to autopsy is only required if the family suspects that death were of a suspicious nature; a deceased person’s family may also need to provide a consent to embalm the body based on their religious beliefs and the availability of refrigeration may also need to be ascertained, particularly for individuals whose funeral rites do not require immediate burial of the remains.