What to Do If You Encounter an Unattended Death
Discovering the remains of someone who has passed away unattended is an overwhelming experience. The unexpected death may be due to various reasons, including suicide, homicide, accident, or natural causes. Whatever caused a person’s death, encountering a lifeless body is more than likely to be a shocking moment.
An unattended death, specifically, describes a scenario in which an individual passes away and is not found for a period of time. Hours, days, weeks, or even months may pass without anyone realizing the occurrence of a death. Individuals who live alone or who experience sudden health conditions, like a heart attack or stroke, are commonly susceptible to dying alone.
What to Do When You Find an Unattended Death
Steps must be taken to appropriately handle the remains of the deceased when you come across an unattended death. The deceased’s body exposes the surrounding life to harmful pathogens and possibly disease. Plus, proper procedures should be followed, which are detailed here:
Call 911 when you discover the individual’s body.
Contact authorities: Call 911 when you discover the individual’s body. Report the situation to police, who will arrive at the scene. Even if the deceased passed due to natural causes, it’s important that a professional determines the exact cause of death. A local coroner’s office will confirm the cause of death. In most circumstances, the remains will be transported to the coroner’s office.
Arrange to transport the body: The deceased must be transported to a mortuary or crematorium. If the Medical Examiner’s office determines foul play is not involved and an investigation is unnecessary, the closest kin is responsible for transferring the body. You may wish to keep on hand the contact information of preferred funeral homes.
Reach out to friends and family: Notify friends and family of the individual’s unattended passing. Affiliates of the individual’s church, business associates, and other members of the deceased’s social circle should be alerted. Social media is helpful to convey the passing. You’ll find a valuable support system in these contacts, as well.
Refrain from a do-it-yourself cleanup: Biohazard cleanup is a dangerous job. Airborne pathogens circulate and harmful bacteria are unleashed during the body’s decomposition process. Don’t risk your health by attempting to clean the area. You could end up exposing yourself to serious illness.
Contact a professional cleanup service: When a person unexpectedly dies alone, the remains begin to decompose within hours. Bodily fluids leak into carpets, flooring, and bedding. The decay process is rapid. Harmful pathogens release into the environment as a result of the decomposition.
Why Call a Professional for Biohazard Cleanup
Even if the death is due to natural causes and the body has been left for only a few hours, the surroundings require critical, swift, and professional cleaning.
If violence was involved in the death, blood may be splattered along the walls, bodily fluids may contaminate the property, and dangerous bacteria likely soil the area. Foul odors will linger and need to be addressed.
A professional biohazard cleaning service should be contacted immediately to start the cleanup process. Biohazard cleaning technicians wear protective gear and have specialized training to clean unattended death scenes. The expertise of cleanup specialists is critical to prevent those living in the home from being exposed to dangerous pathogens.
The property itself can be uninhabitable and unsafe for a length of time until professional cleanup services address the home. Included in the aftermath of an unattended death cleanup are sanitization of the area, deodorization, and restoration of the scene. You may also need to do the following after discovering an unattended death:
Biohazard cleaning technicians wear protective gear and have specialized training to clean unattended death scenes.
Begin the insurance process: Getting started on insurance paperwork during this difficult time is the last item on your agenda of things to do after encountering an unattended death. However, your cleanup team will help you get started on filing a claim with your homeowner’s insurance to cover the cost of the cleaning. A reputable cleaning company will take you step by step through the insurance paperwork.
Seek counseling: Coming across the scene of an unattended death is devastating. Whether the deceased was a family member, friend, or even a criminal inside your home, professional counselors and psychologists can help guide you through the difficult emotions.
Reduce the chances of an unattended death: As summer approaches, the elderly who live alone are vulnerable to numerous risks associated with the intense, scorching temperatures. Heat stress can be fatal. Variations of heat stress include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and even water intoxication. Families can prevent medical emergencies and unattended deaths during these hot, dry months. Moving seniors to cooler locations can help avoid heat exhaustion. Heat stroke, which shortly follows heat exhaustion, can damage the brain or lead to death. The rapid intake of water can lead to water intoxication, seizures, coma, and eventual death. Be sure that susceptible individuals hydrate adequately and do not overdo their water intake.
Call a Trusted Professional
Keep the contact information handy of a trusted, local biohazard cleaning company. When the unexpected occurs, you’ll be prepared. The skilled technicians that provide biohazard cleanup follow Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulations to properly clean a home after the unattended death scene is discovered. They will also follow all local, state and federal safety standards. Proper disposal of biohazard materials is included in the service. These specialists use advanced cleaning methods and wear personal protective equipment to stay safe while cleaning the affected areas.
A trusted biohazard cleaning professional is highly experienced in all facets of biohazard cleaning. The team has the skills to work with law enforcement agencies and avoid compromising a crime scene during an investigation. Plus, throughout the trauma scene cleanup process, certified technicians are trained to offer sensitivity and compassion to families who are grieving as a result of the unexpected loss.
Teams of specialists are available 24 hours a day to take your emergency call to swiftly clean, sanitize, and thoroughly restore your home so that it is safe to inhabit once again.
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
