When someone with pancreatic cancer dies

Dying is different for each person. It is a natural process, but you may feel frightened or worried about what will happen. Ask the doctor or nurse about anything that is worrying you. Dying is often very peaceful at the end.

It’s not always easy to know when someone has died. Their breathing will slow and become irregular. Sometimes they may take one or two last breaths after they seemed to have stopped breathing. They may seem to relax and may look pale.

After someone dies

If your family member died in hospital, a hospice or a care home, the healthcare team will explain what happens next. If they died at home and no health professionals were there, you will need to contact their GP to come and confirm that they have died. If it’s outside working hours, the GP answer-phone message will give you the number of the out of hours’ doctor.

There are some things you need to do soon after someone dies.

• Ask the GP or hospital doctor for a medical certificate so you can register the death.
• Register the death within five days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and within eight days in Scotland. You will need to do this before a funeral.
• If your family member died at home, you can contact the funeral director if you wish for them to be moved to a funeral home.
• Arrange the funeral – you may want to check if your family member had made any plans for their funeral. You can arrange the funeral yourself or use a funeral director.

The GP or nurse should give you information about what you need to do. You can also find details of how to register a death, and what else to do after someone dies on the:

• GOV.UK website in England and Wales
• National Records of Scotland or the Scottish Government website
• nidirect website in Northern Ireland.

If your family member died at home, they can stay there for as long as you wish before the funeral. When you are ready, the funeral director will move them to a funeral home if that is what you want. You can visit them at the funeral home if you wish. If they died in a hospital, hospice or care home, ask if you can go to visit them in a private room if you want to.

Organising the funeral

Organising a funeral may feel overwhelming when you are coping with feelings of loss and grief. You may have spoken to your family member about their wishes for their funeral, or they may have written their wishes in their will.

Some things to think about when arranging a funeral are:

• whether to have a religious or non-religious ceremony
• whether your family member will be buried or cremated
• who to invite to the funeral
• what music you want played
• what readings – if any – to have at the funeral, and who you want to read them
• whether you would like flowers – some people prefer to support a charity with donations at their funeral
• whether you would like to do something after the funeral, or organise a wake.

Lots of people arrange a funeral through a funeral director, but you don’t have to. Citizen’s Advice and Marie Curie have information about how to find a funeral director. If you want to arrange the funeral yourself, the Natural Death Centre can provide guidance. Or your local council will have more information.

If your family member died at home, they can stay there for as long as you wish before the funeral. When you are ready, the funeral director can move them to a funeral home if that is what you want. If they died in a hospital, hospice or care home, you can usually go to visit them in a private room if you want to.

Marie Curie have more information on their website about what happens when someone dies, including caring for the body and religious customs.

Published April 2021

Review date April 2024