Death comes in various forms and it’s always a tragedy for the deceased’s family and friends. If the person died at home, it can be a cause for added, lingering grief or a sense of consolation, depending on how it happened. In this post, we are going to discuss some practical steps that should be considered essential for anyone who has been unfortunate enough to experience a recent death in their home.

Cleaning Up

This is the most difficult and traumatic task that anyone may need to undertake after a death at home. Depending on the circumstances of the death, it can also be extremely dangerous as scenes of death are often biohazards. Irrespective of the circumstances, save yourself the added risks and emotional trauma by leaving the cleanup job to specialized cleaning firms.

They have the properly trained professionals, the right protective equipment, and the experience to clean any and all scenes of death with the necessary thoroughness. If it’s a scene of crime/suicide though, a police confirmation will be necessary before the scene can be cleaned out.

Vacate or Isolate the Premises Temporarily

In case it is indeed a scene of crime, the police will likely advise the remaining family members to vacate the house/apartment for at least some time. If nothing like that is relevant, it is still advisable for the family members to temporarily live elsewhere.

Leave the house alone for professional cleaners to do their job, give yourselves some time to come to terms with the incident, and only then should everyone move back into the home again. In case that is not a viable option and vacating the premises is not mandatory, just isolate the room and that section of the property, until it has been thoroughly decontaminated and cleaned.

Renovation and Preservation

It would be impossible to suggest anything without knowing exactly what the circumstances are surrounding the death. However, at least some degree of renovation will be essential in most cases, especially if you wish to or need to make that space livable once again. If you would rather forget, a complete overhaul of the room’s design and décor can be highly helpful.

If you wish to preserve as much of the deceased’s memories as possible, only make the essential repairs. Unless it was a violent death, preservation should be easy to pull off on your own, provided that you have some previous DIY experience. Only loved ones can handle such jobs with the care it needs to preserve good memories. If it was a natural/nonviolent death, the DIY work can also help you keep with coping and mindful engagement.

If the deceased person was the only other individual in your home, then you really should not be living alone in there for at least some time. Either move in temporarily with a family or friend or have some of them temporarily move in with you. Grief takes time to heal, and the bereavement process is seldom dealt well in isolation.

Published: 2022-12-23 14:58:38