If you require immediate assistance upon loss of a loved one, please call the Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home at (412) 655-4501 to speak to a funeral director right away. Our funeral directors are available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have and take care of your loved one as we would our own. If you are unsure of whom you should notify or what your next steps should be, please call us for assistance in determining the appropriate course of action for your situation, day or night.

When a death occurs at home or in the workplace, first contact emergency personnel and/or your loved one's physician if he or she was under medical or hospice care. If no one else was present when the death occurred, you will need to notify the police before the funeral home can take your loved one into their care.

When a death occurs at a hospital or care facility, professional staff will notify you and contact the appropriate authorities. If you have already given them the name of a funeral home, be sure that the facility intends to notify the funeral home and did not just take the information for their records.

To read more about the first few hours and days after a death has occurred, click here.

Your Local Social Security Office

Usually, your funeral director will notify Social Security about your loved one’s passing. However, if they don’t, call 1-800-772-1213 or your loved one’s local office’s number. AARP recommends contacting them as soon as possible to avoid complicated repayments. If you are unsure of this step, ask your funeral director for guidance.

Their Employer

Be sure to contact their employer. If your loved one had health insurance through their job, their employer will likely take care of contacting their provider. If not, you should also notify their health insurance provider.

Their Insurance Companies

Along with their health insurance provider, contact their other insurance companies which typically include life insurance, auto insurance, and homeowner’s insurance.

Their Financial Institutions

Hopefully, your loved one kept organized records of all their financial information. You will need to contact their bank, financial advisors, stockbrokers, and mortgage companies. Also, make sure to close all of their credit card accounts, and notify credit reporting agencies such as Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

Their Driver’s License Organization

To prevent identity theft, contact their state’s division of motor vehicles to cancel your loved one’s driver’s license. Note that the organization’s name and rules vary depending on the state or province that your loved one resided in. Also, if applicable, notify their local election board to reduce voting fraud.

Any Clubs or Organizations They Joined

Was your loved one a part of a fraternity or sorority? What about any professional organizations? Be sure to contact all of them. This is especially important if your loved one was a veteran, since they may qualify for assistance on funeral expenses.

Social Media Companies

If your loved one had any social media accounts, there are ways to notify these companies of your loved one’s death.

Here are instructions for doing so on

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X (Twitter)

Also, it’s worth reaching out to any companies your loved one has an email through. Nowadays, some social media organizations like Facebook/Meta allow you to keep your loved one's account open as a form of memorialization, with the word "Remembering" listed next to their name. To learn more, visit this blog.