Unattended Death: Check on Elderly Often
If you know someone who is extremely old and lives on their own, then it’s a good idea to check up on them often. The phrase unattended death is used in a situation when a body is not discovered for a long time. This could be days to weeks or, in rare cases, months. These deaths are common in the elderly. In rare cases, this also happens in the wake of a homicide or a suicide. That is why it’s important to check on elderly often.
Decomposition
The longer the remains of a person are unattended, the more advanced the decomposition process will be.
There are 3 stages of decomposition:
· Autolysis (self digestion): Because of the absence of oxygen and waste building up, the body's cells get stressed and the amount of intra-cellular pH falls. The low pH level transforms the corpse into an acidic location that causes rupture of the membranes and releases enzymes that assimilate the cell thoroughly.
· Bloat: During this, several gases are formed as fungi, protozoa, and bacteria attack the dead tissue, liquefying it.
· Active decay: This is the last stage. During this, the muscles and fat are reduced to a foul-smelling and paste-like matter, with the microorganisms being joined by flies and different insects that do away with the remaining soft tissue.
Cleanup after Unattended Death
A decomposing cadaver releases toxins and bacteria that can harm people and cause major property harm. In fact, a decomposed body may affect the livability of a home in simply a few hours. Therefore, it is essential to fully clean and disinfect the unattended death scene.
Once an unattended body is found, the cleanup, which is difficult, is generally handled by the family. No one should go through the traumatic experience of having to see their family member in the decomposition stages, and the biological matter left behind by a body can be dangerous.
Dealing with unattended deaths is difficult and traumatic should never be done on your own. Even a cleanup service can face difficulties in the process. But death cleanup specialists are trained and know how to handle these situations so you should leave the matter in their hands. They wear the appropriate gear and disinfect following safety rules. They also know how to dispose of waste in the proper manner.
Bio-one Duval County can help you in the case of unattended deaths. We offer comprehensive services for trauma and biohazard scenes such as suicide cleanup, blood spill cleanup, and decomposition or undiscovered death cleanup. All these can pose serious health problems if not dealt with properly. We realize the extent of harm and trauma they can cause so we provide professional, thorough, and safe services.