What to do after an unattended death: the first 24 hours

An unattended death is one where no doctor was present and none can sign the death certificate, such as a person found at home after dying alone. In California these deaths are investigated by the county coroner, which in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County is part of the sheriff's department. This guide covers the first day, from the first phone call to arranging cleanup of the home.

Right away

• Call 911. Do this even if you are sure the person has died. Dispatch sends police or deputies and paramedics, who confirm the death and notify the coroner.
• Do not move the person or clean anything. The coroner's investigator needs to see the scene as it was found.
• Step outside if the air is bad. Decomposition odor is unpleasant and can make you feel ill. Wait for responders outside.
• Keep pets away from the room, and away from the person.

If the person was receiving hospice care and the death was expected, call the hospice first; its nurse usually handles the next steps with the family's doctor.

While responders are there

Officers or deputies will ask when the person was last seen, about their health and medication, and for next of kin. The coroner's deputy investigator decides whether the body goes to the coroner's facility or can be released directly to a funeral home, and arranges removal. Keep a note of the case or report number; you will need it.

County coroner offices

Non-emergency numbers

For questions after the call, such as whether the property has been released, use the agency that responded:

Later the same day

• Choose a funeral home or mortuary and tell the coroner which one. The funeral home collects the person and handles death certificates.
• Secure the property. Lock doors and windows, and take keys, wallet, phone, medication and important papers if you can reach them without entering the affected room.
• Tell the landlord if the home is rented, and the building manager if it is an apartment.
• Call the insurer if the home is owned. Report the loss and ask about biohazard cleanup cover.
• Leave the heating and air conditioning as they are, unless a cleanup company advises otherwise.

When to arrange cleanup

Once the coroner has removed the person and the police or sheriff have released the property, cleanup can start. The coroner does not clean. For a death that went unnoticed for days, the home will need professional unattended death cleanup; a registered company removes affected flooring and furnishings and deals with the odor. What it may cost, and who may pay, is in the cost guide and who pays in California.

What can wait

Sorting belongings, cancelling accounts, closing the lease and dealing with the estate can all wait a few days. If the person rented their home, the landlord will need to follow California's rules on belongings left behind, summarized on the property managers page.