Special circumstances
What if they had a communicable disease?
Short answer
Standard mortuary practices handle communicable diseases safely. The death certificate will note certain conditions for public health purposes. Family members do not need to worry about handling personal belongings — ask the funeral home if you have specific concerns.
What this usually means
Standard mortuary practices handle communicable diseases safely. The death certificate will note certain conditions for public health purposes. Family members do not need to worry about handling personal belongings — ask the funeral home if you have specific concerns.
What to do next
- Start the PathAfter checklist for situation-aware first steps.
- Find California county phone numbers for coroner, vital records, and local offices.
- Open the First 72 Hours Call Log before making calls.
- Open the Documents to Find Checklist when you are ready for paperwork.