What to do when you find a dead body in a hoarder house
Unless you can see the body from the front porch, do not go into the home. Do not touch anything and call local authorities so they can secure the area and follow proper procedure. Police will come out and meet with medical officials to confirm the scene. Once authorities clear the scene, the removal that is left falls on you!
Human decomposition from unattended deaths. Dead Body Removal services
If no one is there to notice when a person passes away, decomposition will settle in and a very distinct odor will arise. Many describe it as a sour smell that can’t be missed. What most don’t realize is that smell will soak into furniture, walls, floors and anything else it comes in contact with. Because hoarding houses tend to have trash build up and organic material laying around, there is a greater potential for contamination of bacteria, airborne pathogens and damage to your home.
Cleaning up after a dead body is not a do-it-yourself project. Even if you cleaned every last surface in that home yourself, you would still be left with odor and contamination. Odor travels through porous materials and can get deep into carpets, mattresses, and even your drywall. Once everything is taken care of and properly removed, the property must be disinfected with hospital grade disinfectants and then odor treated at the source.
What to do when you find a deceased body in a hoarded property
You also have to think about the emotional attachment you have to the deceased. These are people who lived by themselves for years and were very seldom seen by another person. Let a professional take care of the cleanup and focus on what’s important, your family. Every situation is different and will require different levels of remediation. Some homes may need to be completely cleaned out, while others may need just spot treatment and sanitation. Whatever the case may be, you don’t want anyone setting foot back into that property until it has been cleaned to livable conditions and all health risks have been eliminated.
Dealing with a dead body is not something you want to take lightly. You want to make sure you have experienced professionals who will treat the property with care and discretion. Fort Wort Hoarding Cleanup can assist you with any needs you may have following an unattended death in a hoarder house.
If you need hoarding cleanup services in Fort Worth, feel free to contact us by email here:
Leave a Reply