CMT Decedent Identification & Intake Procedures 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of an identification tag attached to a decedent upon arrival at the funeral home?
- To record the cause of death for insurance purposes
- To maintain positive identification throughout all stages of preparation and final disposition (Correct answer)
- To indicate which embalming chemicals should be used
- To document the family's contact information for follow-up
Correct answer: To maintain positive identification throughout all stages of preparation and final disposition
Identification tags ensure the decedent can be positively identified at every step from intake through final disposition, preventing misidentification errors.
Question 2: Which document typically authorizes a funeral home to remove a decedent from a hospital or care facility?
- The death certificate
- A removal authorization or body release form signed by authorized personnel (Correct answer)
- The burial permit
- The embalming authorization signed by next of kin
Correct answer: A removal authorization or body release form signed by authorized personnel
A removal authorization or body release form signed by the facility's authorized staff must be obtained before the funeral home can legally take custody of the decedent.
Question 3: When a decedent arrives at the funeral home with personal effects such as jewelry, what is the standard intake procedure?
- Store all items in a communal safe until the family requests them
- Inventory and document all personal effects in the presence of a witness and secure them separately (Correct answer)
- Return all jewelry immediately to the hospital or care facility
- Photograph items only if they appear to be of high monetary value
Correct answer: Inventory and document all personal effects in the presence of a witness and secure them separately
All personal effects must be inventoried, documented, witnessed, and securely stored to maintain accountability and protect the funeral home from liability.
Question 4: What information is typically recorded on a first-call report when removing a decedent?
- Only the decedent's name and Social Security number
- Time and place of removal, condition of the body, identification information, and personal effects inventory (Correct answer)
- Only the attending physician's name and cause of death
- The decedent's insurance policy numbers and beneficiary names
Correct answer: Time and place of removal, condition of the body, identification information, and personal effects inventory
A first-call report comprehensively documents removal time and location, body condition, identification details, and an inventory of personal effects to establish a legal record.
Question 5: What is the 'first call' in mortuary practice?
- The initial phone call made to the family to offer condolences
- The initial response to retrieve the decedent from the place of death (Correct answer)
- The first telephone call made to the state health department to report a death
- The first meeting with the family to discuss funeral arrangements
Correct answer: The initial response to retrieve the decedent from the place of death
The 'first call' refers to the initial response by funeral home staff to go to the place of death and remove the decedent into the funeral home's care.
Question 6: Which agency or entity in the United States is primarily responsible for issuing and maintaining the official death certificate form?
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Individual state vital statistics offices, following NCHS model guidelines (Correct answer)
- The Social Security Administration
- The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
Correct answer: Individual state vital statistics offices, following NCHS model guidelines
Each state's vital statistics office issues and maintains death certificates, though they follow model guidelines from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Question 7: When a decedent is brought to a funeral home and the identity is uncertain, what is the most reliable scientific method used for positive identification?
- Visual identification by a family member alone
- Comparison of dental records, fingerprints, or DNA against antemortem records (Correct answer)
- Reviewing the contents of the decedent's wallet or purse
- Checking the physical description against a missing persons report
Correct answer: Comparison of dental records, fingerprints, or DNA against antemortem records
Dental records, fingerprints, and DNA comparison against known antemortem records provide scientifically reliable positive identification when visual identification is not possible.
CMT Decedent Identification & Intake Procedures 1
What is the primary purpose of an identification tag attached to a decedent upon arrival at the funeral home?