THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF AFTER AN UNATTENDED DEATH
At first, you may be in shock. As grief sets in, you have so many questions. When you’re responsible for taking care of a property after an unattended death, it’s hard to know where to start. We offer this 8-step guide to help you navigate your course of action.
CONTACT THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Even if you’re certain the death resulted from natural causes, you have to contact local authorities. You can’t be sure of the circumstances, so leave this important determination to someone in an official capacity.
MAKE TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS
If the death isn’t ruled a crime and doesn’t require further investigation by the Medical Examiner, it’s up to you to arrange transportation for the body. As you develop an unattended death checklist for your personal files, try to keep information on preferences for mortuaries or crematoriums along with current phone numbers.
REACH OUT TO FAMILY, FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES
Begin contacting immediate family and close friends. Set a network in motion through personal contacts and social media so that everyone from the deceased’s family to his or her business associates know what’s happened. Don’t try to do everything by yourself.
ADDRESS CLEANING THE PROPERTY
A property designated as a crime scene must be cleaned after the authorities finish investigating. If death is determined to be the result of natural causes, a body left unattended for even a few hours still creates critical cleaning issues. You need to call a professional cleaning contractor who specialises in processing this type of sensitive work.
BE PREPARED FOR THE WORST
The scene of an unattended death can be very disturbing. If violence was involved, you may be confronted with a property marred by blood splatters, bodily fluids and terrible odours. Even a natural death can leave behind unseen pathogens and dangerous contaminants. Be prepared to treat familiar surroundings with extreme caution.
DON’T ATTEMPT ANY CLEANUP
Don’t try to clean up an affected property after an unattended death. Don’t handle clothing or personal belongings. The human body begins to decompose within a few hours of death. You don’t want to risk coming into contact with anything contaminated by bacteria and pathogens that can cause serious illness.
TRUST INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
When you hire a cleaning company with vast experience in decomposition cleanup services, you’re trusting an experienced team that can address any type of situation. Whether it’s the scene of a suicide, crime, accident or natural death, the property is sanitised, deodorised and restored as closely to its original condition as possible.
GET HELP WITH THE INSURANCE PROCESS
Some homeowners policies might cover necessary cleanup after an unattended death. Because this is a difficult time for you, ask your cleaning contractor for assistance. The claims process can be hard to deal with under any circumstances, but an established restoration company can help you with your insurance claim.
