After the Funeral
After the funeral, we continue to care by helping with the following.
The Death Certificate
At the time of the arrangement, our Funeral Director will ask you for details that will be used Register the Death. This information will be used to produce the Death Certificate. This is an important legal document that will required by the lawyer and for changing bank details, various policies and updating accounts. It can take up to 10 working days following the day of the funeral to be issued. It is sent to Fountains and we will then post the original copy (plus 3 photocopies) along with the funeral account, to the name nominated as the account recipient.
Receiving the Ashes
If your loved one has been cremated, we give you a call when their ashes are back into our care. This may take a few days. We can discuss the many options available for memorialising your loved one and have a wide selection of ash urns available.
Monumental Headstones & Plaques
This can be done at any time following the funeral. Fountains has an onsite showroom that will give you a good idea of what is available. We will work with you to design something special to memorialise your loved one, complete all the necessary paperwork and arrange the installation. Contact us on 09 298 2957 or email
Keepsakes Jewellery
Designed and crafted in New Zealand.
Keepsakes with Love has a range of sensitive memorial jewellery including pendants, rings, and charms. These jewellery pieces can be filled with a small amount of ashes, a lock of hair, or other small keepsake.
Memory Treasures by Smallprint feature silver jewellery which uses fingerprints, footprints or handprints.
About Grief
At times, things can feel overwhelming, but remember to take things slowly, one step at a time. Here are some positive ways you can help yourself get through the grieving process.
- Take care of your physical wellbeing - exercise regularly and maintain a balanced diet – even though you may not have much of an appetite, eating well is important.
- Structure your time. Keep routines as normal as possible (especially where children are concerned). Things To Do lists can be helpful and keep you on task.
- Spend time with others and also allow yourself some time out.
- Do things that make you feel good.
- Talk to people you trust.
- Writing down your thoughts or feelings can be helpful.
- Limit your use of drugs or alcohol.
- Keep important decisions for a later time. Your judgement may for the moment be impaired so take your time and don’t rush things.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Above all, be gentle with yourself.
What is Bereavement Support?
When someone close to us dies, we experience many different feelings, some of which may lead to confusion, isolation and on occasion, despair.
Experiencing these feelings is very normal, but may leave us feeling that we are uninterested or unable to cope with our daily lives. It is most commonly during this period after the funeral, when friends and family have returned to their daily rountines, that we can find ourselves struggling to adjust and cope.
Having someone to listen to us can be of tremendous reassurance at a time when we are feeling vulnerable. Talking with and gaining support from someone outside our immediate circle can help to alleviate these feelings and help to give an insight into how grief affects us.
Fountains Bereavement Support
Grief is our natural response to loss in our lives. There is no right or wrong way to grieve, and people have different ways of grieving. When someone dies, family and friends can find it difficult to cope with the tremendous grief they experience and can be unprepared for important decisions and arrangements that need to be made.
At Fountains, we are committed to providing ongoing care and support to our bereaved families. We offer Bereavement Support to all our families. Emma Love and Brett Lake are available to support you in your grief and loss. They are here to talk to you and can provide contact details and information regarding support groups, agencies and library resources available within our community to help you through this time. They also host a monthly local Bereavement Support Group.
Who can use this service?
Anyone can. We are proud to assist all community members, whether they have previously used our services. Contact Fountains on 09 298 2957 for information or advice.
Online Death Notification Service - MyTrove
After a death, one of the more arduous tasks is to close out all the relationships the deceased had with various organisations, such as the bank, Inland Revenue, Ministry of Social Development, Work & Income, Internal Affairs Passports Office. Soon this will also include insurers and telecommunication companies, councils and energy companies, Kiwi saver etc. MyTrove is a free service.
After a death it takes an executor an average of 52.1 hours to close down these accounts and typically two months to a year to wind up an estate from start to finish. MyTrove will reduce the administrative burden by grieving families, or lawyers by reducing paperwork, removing the need to visit multiple organisations that require essentially the same information, and allowing personal and offical death data to work together. The service is free for those notifying of a death.
On the myTrove website, you can also find reference links that will help with other relevant services, like how to close down a Facebook or Instagram account, LinkedIn accounts, check for unclaimed money at IRD etc.
You can do this yourself or if you prefer, you can have your law firm do it on your behalf.