Saying goodbye in the hospital

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Health care chaplaincy can be requested by the nursing staff at all times. If the deceased person is still in his/her hospital room, you can say goodbye to your relative or friend there. The nursing staff is responsible for your basic needs. Furthermore, there are two viewing rooms available, on floor A or in the Pathology department. A short goodbye ritual in the hospital church is also possible upon request.

You may contact the clinical ethics team if there are ambiguities in the interpretation of the deceased patient’s advance directive.

Funeral office

The University Hospital Zurich has its own funeral office. Nursing staff or hospital chaplains can accompany you if desired. The employees of the funeral office will assist you with further information, answer your questions, explain the formalities, issue a death certificate and send it to the respective municipality. They also organize the transfer of the deceased to the place of residence or inform you how a transfer abroad can be arranged.

After the patient’s death, the closest relatives should visit the civil or burial office of the deceased’s home municipality as soon as possible. There they should present the family record book and the residence confirmation. At the civil or burial office they will also be informed, which pastor will conduct the funeral service, where it takes place and who to consult about a coffin, music and flower