First minutes: what to do before the team arrives
Very little is needed from the family before we get there. We take care of everything else, so there is no need to hurry.
- Dial 112 if nobody has done that yet. A doctor will certify that death has occurred and write a medical certificate; after a sudden death, the police will come as well.
- Do not move your loved one until the doctor has been. You may open a window and turn off the heating so the room becomes cooler.
- Have identity documents ready - the deceased's and your own. Together with the doctor's certificate, they open the way to every step that follows.
- Decide where the deceased should go, or simply tell us you do not know yet. The coordinator will explain the options over the phone.
- Take the children elsewhere: young children are better off with relatives or neighbours while the team is at work.
Where the deceased can go from the flat
Removal always goes hand in hand with choosing where the farewell will take place. There are four options, and the family can change its mind later.
| Option | Usually chosen when | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Stays at home | the flat is spacious enough and the family wants a traditional farewell at home | the deceased is not taken away but placed in a refrigerated coffin; the carrying-out happens on the day of the funeral |
| Refrigerated storage | the flat is small, relatives are on their way, or the family needs some peace | the deceased is taken to our refrigerated chamber and stays there until the funeral or the move to a hall |
| Funeral hall | many mourners expected, a high floor, elderly neighbours | the deceased is prepared and laid out straight away in the hall, where the family receives visitors |
| Forensic examination | a sudden or unexplained death, at the request of the police | the deceased is taken to the forensic bureau, and we collect them from there afterwards |
Inside the flat: how our team works
- Arrival: two or three staff in dark uniforms come up with a stretcher, clean linen, gloves and protective covering for the stairwell. The hearse waits by the entrance.
- Checking the papers: the team leader looks at the doctor's certificate and the IDs. If there is no certificate yet, we contact the ambulance service and wait: without it the deceased cannot be taken out.
- Valuables: jewellery, watches and rings are removed in the family's presence and handed over against a signed list. If relatives want a ring to stay with their loved one, we note that on the list.
- Preparation: the deceased is gently wrapped in clean linen and placed on the stretcher. Whether to stay in the room while this happens is entirely the family's decision.
- Carrying down: by lift if the stretcher fits, or by the stairs, with the team taking turns. Steps and walls are protected, and every movement is slow and calm.
- The room: before leaving, we make up the bed and, if the family asks, take the bed linen away, so that relatives do not walk back into a distressing scene.
High floors, narrow stairs, buildings without a lift
Much of the housing in Tbilisi consists of Soviet-era tower blocks whose lifts are too small for a stretcher to lie flat, or older buildings with narrow staircases and tight turns. For us this is routine work, not an exception. In these buildings we use flexible stretchers that hold the deceased securely and can be turned on a landing, and above the tenth floor extra people join the team. The family pays nothing extra for this: the floor, the lack of a lift and the type of building have no effect on the price.
In new residential complexes where a barrier keeps vehicles away from the entrance, one of our staff contacts security while still on the way, so the hearse is let through to the door and a service lift is made available.
A sudden death at home: police and forensic examination
If the death was unexpected - at a young age, with no history of illness, as the result of an accident, or when someone lived alone and was found some time later - the 112 service sends the police along with the doctor. This is routine, and nobody is accusing the family of anything. The officers look round the flat, ask a few questions and decide whether a forensic medical examination is needed.
Two things are worth knowing. First, until the examination is finished the deceased cannot be taken anywhere else, and the wait is usually one to three days. Second, once it is complete, our representative fetches your loved one from the bureau with the investigator's permission and brings them straight to our chamber, a hall or home. Nobody from the family has to go to the bureau if you give our representative a power of attorney.
If the deceased stays at home: preparing the room
When relatives decide the farewell should take place in the flat itself, the team prepares the room for a refrigerated coffin. It needs a space by a wall of about two metres by one, with a socket nearby. Our staff move the furniture and, if the family asks, roll up any rugs that might be damaged. Following Georgian custom, mirrors in the room are covered and a photograph of the deceased with a black ribbon is put out; we will help with this too if the family does not have the strength. The temperature should be moderate: in winter we turn the heating down, and in summer we suggest switching on the air conditioning, if there is any.
Prices for removal and the services around it
| What we do | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Removal from the flat and transport within Tbilisi | from 150 GEL | team, stretcher, hearse, any floor |
| Keeping the deceased in our refrigerated chamber | 50 GEL a day | moved on to a hall, or directly to the cemetery, when the funeral day comes |
| Refrigerated coffin, if the deceased stays at home | 80 GEL a day | delivery and set-up free of charge |
| Washing and dressing in clothes provided by the family | 150 to 200 GEL | at home or at our premises |
| Removing and disposing of bed linen | free | at the family's request |
Night hours, weekends and public holidays do not raise the price. The amount the coordinator quotes on the phone stays the same after the team arrives, and you can pay in cash, by card, or after the funeral as part of a single bill.
Staying in the room or stepping out
There is no right answer here, and the team respects whatever you choose. Some children want to stay beside their parent to the very end, hold their hand and see for themselves how gently they are treated. For others the moment is too much, and they prefer to wait in the next room and see their loved one only once they are on the stretcher, wrapped in clean linen. The team leader will explain beforehand what is going to happen and will not do anything you have not agreed to. If the family wishes to say a prayer or spend a few minutes alone with their loved one, the team will wait, and that time is not added to the bill.
Neighbours and the stairwell
In a block of flats, a body being carried out does not go unnoticed, and many families wonder how to manage it without drawing attention. The team works quietly, occupies the lift or stairs for no more than a minute or two, and the stretcher is covered with a dark cloth. If the family would like neighbours to know about the farewell, we print a death notice and put it up on the entrance door. If you would rather keep things private, we respect that as well.
Frequently asked questions
From the moment we are called, when does the team arrive?
Within Tbilisi, 40 to 60 minutes, and often less at night. The team leader phones on the way to check the entrance and the floor.
Can the deceased be removed without a doctor's certificate?
No. Death has to be certified by a doctor first, who then writes the medical certificate. If the doctor has not arrived yet, the team will wait, or we will contact the ambulance service ourselves.
We live on the fourteenth floor and the lift is small. How much extra will that cost?
Nothing. Carrying down on a flexible stretcher and any additional staff are included in the standard price, whatever the floor.
Can you take the deceased to your premises first and let us decide later?
Yes, and that is often the better way: the deceased goes to our refrigerated chamber, and the family can calmly decide where the farewell will be and when the funeral will take place.
Can someone from the family come with you?
Yes. There are seats for a few relatives next to the driver and in a separate compartment. For many families it matters that one of them stays close until the end.
Who collects the deceased from the forensic bureau?
A family member or someone they have authorised. Most often our representative does it under a power of attorney, and relatives are reunited with their loved one already prepared, at home or in a hall.
In these hours your thoughts should be with your family and nothing else. Give the address and floor to whoever answers - +995 568 33 03 18 rings through day and night - and a team will be at your door within the hour, working quietly and with care; the next steps, from the hall to the funeral itself, we will plan together at whatever pace suits you.