Cyprus-Forum.com

[ampleaphrodite]

Good afternoon, all.

I'm new to this forum, although I 've lived here in Cyprus for 9 years now.

My elderly mother also lives here, with me - she's 88 - and is generally healthy, if frail. She is absolutely obsessed with what I will need to do, should I walk into her room one day and find that she's died in her sleep (as is her intention!) and, to be honest, I don't know what the procedure is.

Who do I phone first? The local doctor, the hospital, the police, an undertaker? My father died here in hospital, so it was all taken care of.

So, is there a helpful list of instructions somewhere? Any advice would be much appreciated, if only so that I can answer when she says for the umpteenth time 'I don't want to be any bother, dear, but ....'

Regards

AA

[Sotos]

You will need to call the hospital as they will have to come to examine her and confirm that she is actually dead. They will then tell you the procedures you will have to follow for the funeral and any paperwork. No need to worry too much about this. Once somebody is dead there is really no urgency.

[bill cobbett]

Only and pretty obvious thing can add is to get the old girl to get her affairs in order. That's really to say to make out her will, if she hasn't done so already. Probate is so much more straightforward for those she leaves behind with one.

[Tim Drayton]

I am pretty much in the same boat as one of the reasons that brought me to Cyprus was that my elderly mother was living here on her own after my father had passed away. My mother apparently found my father's dead body one day after he passed away out of the blue with a heart attack. She simply phoned for an ambulance, and they took him (his remains) away to the hospital. After that, everything seemed to go quite smoothly. The authorities issue a death certificate and inform you who to contact to make funeral arrangements. So the thing to do, it would seem, is phone the emergency number and call an ambulance. Hopefully, of course, she will still be alive and they will be able to do something at the hospital, but otherwise the authorities guide you, and the funeral people also know their job, not surprisingly.

[ampleaphrodite]

Many thanks everyone. I'll call the ambulance!

Fortunately, all her affairs are completely in order, apart from the fact that she keeps changing her 'gift list' of who's to have what. She's even bought a double plot at the British Cemetery in Erimi, so that she can buried with my father.....

Regards

AA

[Tim Drayton]

That means you are in Limassol, too. It seems that the company named "Archangel" has the monopoly on funerals here. You will be referred to them by the hospital, and they take charge, even contacting the local Anglican priest. It all apparently flows very smoothly and quickly. Their bill, I am told, is quite stiff. It is gruesome, but these thoughts weight heavily on mind, too, as I see my mother's health decline.

[ampleaphrodite]

Hi Tim

In fact, my parents had already pre-paid their funerals about 5 years ago, through a UK company called Golden Leaves, which advertises in the Cyprus Weekly and Grapevine, I believe.

When Father died on a Saturday morning, we just rang the UK number, who referred us straight to their contracted undertaker 'Othello' and they took care of absolutely everything, even warning us that the Mortuary Manager at Limassol hospital would illegally try to sell us funeral arrangements though his 'friends' company (which indeed he did!).

There were no extra charges, other than paying for the double cemetery plot, which hadn't been allowed for.

This is a good option for anyone permanently resident in Cyprus, who doesn't want to be 'repatriated'.

AA