The emotional weight of grief can make it hard to think clearly after someone has passed away, and there’s often a lot to handle. It’s easy to overlook important details, so we’ve collected 18 things you should remember to do after someone dies.
Subscription and Membership Charges
Amid all the phone calls and paperwork, things like subscriptions can easily be forgotten, but those charges don’t stop automatically. They’ll just keep coming until someone cancels them, and dealing with it sooner rather than later can prevent unexpected bills.
Taking Care of Social Media Accounts
Most people have at least one social media profile, and when they pass, those pages often remain unless someone steps in. Friends might continue to tag them or leave comments, unaware that no one’s monitoring the account, and while some families find comfort in leaving a page up as a memorial, others might want to deactivate.
Mail Being Stopped or Redirected
Bills, catalogs, and personal letters will continue to show up if no one changes their mailing address or stops the flow, therefore the mailbox keeps filling up, sometimes for months.
This can also lead to missed documents or even identity theft risks; it’s a simple but important task that tends to get overlooked in the early days of grieving.
Medical Records and Insurance Updates
It’s not exactly top-of-mind, but notifying doctors and insurance providers is crucial after someone passes, otherwise, automated reminders can keep coming, and those moments can hit like a punch in the gut. Plus, failing to notify these institutions could result in unwanted charges or billing confusion that causes unnecessary stress later.
Collecting Items From Their Workplace
Whether they were retired or still working, there might be personal items left behind at a former office, locker, or workspace, and we mean things like framed photos or coffee mugs. Families can forget to contact employers or former colleagues to retrieve these things, but gathering those items can provide closure.
Digital Asset Management
With so much of life stored online with photos and documents, how important someone’s digital footprint can be is something worth remembering. Without access to their email or cloud storage, people might miss meaningful files or practical info, and it helps to look into whether they left behind a password manager or digital legacy plan.
Notifying Friends Outside the Immediate Circle
It’s easy to forget about old coworkers, childhood friends, or distant relatives who would want to know, isn’t it? Those people often find out months later, sometimes through social media or an old message thread, and the surprise can be painful, therefore creating a wider list and spreading the word gently can prevent those accidental shocks.
Driver’s License or ID Cancellation
Though not seeming urgent, this is an important step to avoid potential identity theft, and some states even allow families to mark IDs as “deceased” in their system.
It’s just one of those tiny pieces of red tape that can go unnoticed in the middle of larger grief, so a lot of people don’t think to cancel a deceased person’s state ID or driver’s license.
Returning Borrowed Items
Most people have borrowed something they meant to return, yet when someone dies, those small debts of trust and kindness can linger, not to mention friends or family may not even realize what items aren’t theirs. Therefore, taking time to return borrowed items, or reaching out to see if something should go back, can help wrap up unfinished business.
Unclaimed Funds Checks
The majority of states have a searchable unclaimed property database, and it’s worth checking, because believe it or not, a lot of people leave behind unclaimed money.
This can be things like forgotten savings accounts or utility deposits, and these hidden funds could really help with expenses or become a surprise gift from the person who passed.
Settling Loyalty Points and Rewards Accounts
Hotel rewards, airline miles, credit card points – these things can add up over time, and many of them can be transferred to a family member, but if no one steps in to claim them, they can expire or be lost forever. You just have to contact the right company, follow a few procedures, and those rewards might actually help with future travel or costs.
Notifying Clubs or Social Groups
These kinds of social groups may not be close enough to hear the news right away, but they usually care and want the chance to honor the person in their own way, and letting them know offers an opportunity for shared remembrance and avoids confusion. Book clubs, volunteer groups, sports leagues, or community organizations will all want to hear the news.
Dealing With Their Pet’s Future
If the person had pets, their care sometimes becomes an afterthought in the whirlwind of funeral planning and estate matters. Remember, animals feel loss too, and they need a new plan quickly so it’s important to know where they’re going and who’s feeding them.
Automatic Payment Cancellation
Most of us have bills on autopay like utilities and gym memberships, don’t we? After someone has passed on, those charges can keep draining their account if no one steps in to stop them, and not only does this waste money, but it can create a mess when settling the estate.
Collecting Keepsakes From Medical Facilities
Asking the facility to gather personal items might offer a small but comforting piece of that person’s presence, if they stayed in a hospital or hospice setting during their final days.
They might have left behind personal items like reading glasses or a favorite blanket, belongings that can be deeply meaningful to loved ones.
Transferring or Closing Online Accounts
If you leave any sort of online account active, it could expose the account to hacking or misuse, so those accounts need to be secured or closed. Especially if it’s accounts with payment information saved automatically, such as an account for a clothing website.
Preserving Their Voicemail or Voice Messages
Once an account is canceled or a phone plan ends, those messages are often deleted forever, so being able to access their phone means you can take the time to back up anything meaningful. It may become one of the most treasured things you have left – hearing a loved one’s voice after they’re gone is incredibly powerful.
Take Time to Grieve Yourself
With so much to take care of, it’s easy to forget that you’re grieving too, but eventually, the weight of the loss will hit. Making space to mourn, feel, and talk about your own emotions is just as important as the practical tasks, so give yourself the grace to feel it.