Death Out of State or Country

If you are notified of a death that occurred out of the state or country, be sure to contact us at Spring Grove Funeral Homes immediately for us to coordinate care and transport on your behalf. Calling an establishment at the location of death first and then involving our funeral home later may result in added fees and costs.

Every state and country have different requirements for transportation back to Ohio. We will work with you and the out of town funeral home on all the legal requirements, forms and coordination.

Your Loved One Never Leave Our Care

At Spring Grove Funeral Homes, we believe that one of the most important things to keep in mind is that from the time we bring your loved one into our care until the final disposition of burial or cremation, your loved one never leaves our care. We have our own state of the art preparation and care facility at our main funeral home location, on the grounds of Spring Grove Cemetery. For certain religious cultures, we have a dedicated ritual washing and dressing room. If your choice is cremation, we do our own cremations and do not transfer your loved one to another facility (not all funeral homes have their own crematory). Our Spring Grove Crematory is located inside our funeral home with a dedicated viewing or observation room.

What to Expect When Our Transfer Team Arrives

The time we transfer your loved one into our care is often a delicate and emotional time for the families we serve. We consider it an honor and privilege and we have developed standards for the highest level of care. Our transfer team’s mission is to capture the trust of the families we serve and provide dignity and care for their loved ones.

Often the transfer team is the first contact you or your family has with Spring Grove Funeral Homes, and the level of care and respect displayed during this time is a direct reflection of our entire organization. Our standards are the same, even when the family is not present at the place of transfer.

Once we are notified that your loved one is ready to be transferred to the funeral home, we will send our transfer associate or team to that location. We will let you know our anticipated arrival time and notify you of any unforeseen circumstances or delays. We will present a clean and professional appearance under all circumstances. In many cases, we may arrive in a suit or business attire. We will have a name tag or other Spring Grove identification.

When we come to your home, we will arrive in a funeral home transfer vehicle, usually a van. There will be two members of our transfer team. At least one of our staff will come to the door to introduce ourselves, extend our condolences and explain the next steps.

We will want to see where your loved one is located and verify their identity. We may need to survey the area to determine the proper equipment needed and move any potential obstacles. We will then ask your permission to bring the transfer equipment inside and begin the process. This equipment will most often be a cot or stretcher. We will offer for you to step out of the room before we begin. If you would like to stay in the room, we will explain the steps we are taking as we perform them.

We will note all personal property that will be taken with your loved one on a personal property release form and obtain a signature from a family member or facility official. · We will attach a yellow identification tag to your loved ones left ankle. At this point, we will begin transferring your loved one from their bed or resting place onto the transfer cot. If you are in the room at this time, you will see we use clean sheets and a pillow and will safely secure your loved one onto the transfer cot. The cot cover is zipped up to hold and keep your loved one safely inside. In certain situations where the family is present or it is requested, we will not cover the face of your loved one until we reach the door or our transfer vehicle. We will offer you an opportunity to spend a moment with your loved one if needed before we depart.

If your family is present, we may present you with a “Next Steps” card. If you are not present or available, we will leave a pillow card. This card thanks you for entrusting us with your loved one and has our contact information.

If your loved one is a military veteran, we will drape the American Flag over the cot cover.

When we arrive at our transfer vehicle, we will gently place your loved one into the vehicle and secure the cot. We only transport one decedent at a time in our transfer vehicles. We never leave your loved one unattended in vehicle.

If you or a family member asks for information about services, we will present you with our general price list and inform you that a Funeral Director will contact them to answer any questions. Many of our transfer team members are funeral directors and if so, can answer your questions and may obtain embalming permission as allowed by state law.

Note: If your loved one passes away in Indiana, Kentucky or another state, we will send staff or a partnering funeral home that is licensed in that state to complete the transfer. Our funeral directors can answer any questions specific to your situation.

Certain situations and circumstances may require the need for additional equipment and staff. Situations that involve difficult locations, infectious disease, environmental extremes and other challenging factors can arise. We will talk with you about these situations and answer any questions you have based on the circumstances.