After-death care generally proceeds smoothly when a patient dies while
on hospice.
At the time of death, the family is instructed to call the on-call hospice
nurse, who makes a visit and pronounces the patient (24 hours a day,
seven days a week).
While there is some variability by county, most counties do
NOT require notification of the coroner for an anticipated death (as
in hospice). If the patient had been seen by a physician in the last
20 days, if the patient has been pronounced (see below) and if there
is a doctor willing to sign the death certificate.
