Post mortem care

Specialties Hospice

Published

I have recently been present at two pt deaths where the Crisis Care nurse (yes, they were hospice nurses) did not make an attempt to wash the body. One told me "They just had a bath this morning", the other said "well, they're not dirty and besides, they'll wash them at the funeral home". This makes me crazy!!!! :banghead: I don't care if the patient was washed up 1/2 prior to death - you wash the body up due to any possible secretions present, and as a sign of respect and caring. Or am I wrong? I went ahead and washed the bodies up, anyway. The nurse looked at me like I was nuts.... Oh, and about powder. This one nurse just dumped powder all other the deceased man's chest "so he would smell good when his wife kissed him". How about smelling good 'cause he's clean!???? Is this too petty to report to someone??? (yes, I can be a bit anal, I know....:grn:

Thanks,

mc3:nurse:

Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.
I have recently been present at two pt deaths where the Crisis Care nurse (yes, they were hospice nurses) did not make an attempt to wash the body. One told me "They just had a bath this morning", the other said "well, they're not dirty and besides, they'll wash them at the funeral home". This makes me crazy!!!! :banghead: I don't care if the patient was washed up 1/2 prior to death - you wash the body up due to any possible secretions present, and as a sign of respect and caring. Or am I wrong? I went ahead and washed the bodies up, anyway. The nurse looked at me like I was nuts.... Oh, and about powder. This one nurse just dumped powder all other the deceased man's chest "so he would smell good when his wife kissed him". How about smelling good 'cause he's clean!???? Is this too petty to report to someone??? (yes, I can be a bit anal, I know....:grn:

Thanks

mc3:nurse:

According to their religious beliefs I do post mortem care.

I quite often ask family members if they want to help with it.

Some do and when I have run into them they always remember their last time with their loved one and how special it was to them to do this as their last act of love for them.

I always like to have the body presentable for family to come in and spend time with if they choose too.

If it is a woman and they have flowers around I usually like to place a flower on their pillow or near the body.

Does not matter that the funeral home has their job to do. POST MORTEM care is part of our job in Hospice after we pronounce, discard Opioids or what ever.

Remember how you have the body presented before leaving the home is how the family are going to remember them.

I pray some day I get that kind of respect and care.:yeah:

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Destroy evidence???? Are you serious??? These patients are not a crime scene, oh yes , RN's do postmortem care, many pt's already have 'damaged skin' from wounds,pressure ulcers, tubes, drains, etc, I've actually never heard of a nurse ripping someone's eyelids off or shearing their skin off during postmortem care !!! :icon_roll:

I second that!! :nono:Are you a hospice nurse? My gosh, I treat each body gently and with the utmost respect!!

mc3:nurse:

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.
I have never heard of a RN or CNA, or anyone doing postmotem care....except a Mortician. A dead human body has to be treated in a certain way. This is what Morticians learn in Mortuary College. Changing a person's clothes after death, washing the body, closing the eyes and mouth are a Mortician's job....not a Nurse!

If you pull too hard on an eyelid and break the skin it will leak for hours after the body is embalmed. A scratch to an arm after death will also leak after embalming. All sorts of dammage that can be done by a well meaning Nurse. Any dammage to the skin after death will be a problem after embalming. Running a brush through someone's hair will leave marks on the scalp....many problems will occur during and after embalming if the body was not cared for by someone who is trained to take care of the dead. Washing, drying, moving arms and legs, closing eyes and mouth are all things that will dammage the tissues.

sorry, in more than 30 years as a cna then a nurse i have never heard any of this... and in the "old days" we ALWAYS did complete post mortem care. I havent worked in Hospice so I cant speak to that; but as a nurse I know I would feel neglectful if I didnt do pm care.

The correct thing to do is to cover the body with a sheet and call the Funeral Home or the Coroner. You should never fuss with a Coroners Case because you'll destroy evidence.

????? evidence??/ like expelled feces and urine etc???

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Specializes in Hospice and Palliative Care, Family NP.
I have never heard of a RN or CNA, or anyone doing postmotem care....except a Mortician. A dead human body has to be treated in a certain way. This is what Morticians learn in Mortuary College. Changing a person's clothes after death, washing the body, closing the eyes and mouth are a Mortician's job....not a Nurse!

If you pull too hard on an eyelid and break the skin it will leak for hours after the body is embalmed. A scratch to an arm after death will also leak after embalming. All sorts of dammage that can be done by a well meaning Nurse. Any dammage to the skin after death will be a problem after embalming. Running a brush through someone's hair will leave marks on the scalp....many problems will occur during and after embalming if the body was not cared for by someone who is trained to take care of the dead. Washing, drying, moving arms and legs, closing eyes and mouth are all things that will dammage the tissues.

The correct thing to do is to cover the body with a sheet and call the Funeral Home or the Coroner. You should never fuss with a Coroners Case because you'll destroy evidence.

Nurses care for the sick and dying......Morticians care for the dead!

Excuse me, but cleaning a body (partially or otherwise), removing a foley cath, combing the hair of the deceased, putting on a clean dry gown is not as much for the deceased patient as it is for the family who wish to spend some time with thier loved one. It is also, in my opinion, a show of respect.

Pulling eyelids? never done it, never left a mark on a scalp, and never ever have I torn skin. Some patients with fragile skin and skin tears all ready there, have tegesorb or some dressing over them.

When the patient is taken to the funeral home, they are cleansed again, embalmed, dressed and prepared for showing. Their eyes are taken care of by the director as well as their mouths. Any wounds are usually redressed with transparent dressings before embalming.

I can't imagine NOT giving after death care.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.
I have never heard of a RN or CNA, or anyone doing postmotem care....except a Mortician. A dead human body has to be treated in a certain way. This is what Morticians learn in Mortuary College. Changing a person's clothes after death, washing the body, closing the eyes and mouth are a Mortician's job....not a Nurse!

If you pull too hard on an eyelid and break the skin it will leak for hours after the body is embalmed. A scratch to an arm after death will also leak after embalming. All sorts of dammage that can be done by a well meaning Nurse. Any dammage to the skin after death will be a problem after embalming. Running a brush through someone's hair will leave marks on the scalp....many problems will occur during and after embalming if the body was not cared for by someone who is trained to take care of the dead. Washing, drying, moving arms and legs, closing eyes and mouth are all things that will dammage the tissues.

The correct thing to do is to cover the body with a sheet and call the Funeral Home or the Coroner. You should never fuss with a Coroners Case because you'll destroy evidence.

Nurses care for the sick and dying......Morticians care for the dead!

You're kidding.....right? This isn't a crime scene!

I always pull any lines attached to the pt. and clean their bottom and put on fresh brief, comb the hair, and dress them. Many times the family wants to participate so I always ask them. Several times the family asks to do all the cares themself...as one last kindness for the deceased. It's all about what the family wants and NEEDS to do. I don't cover them with a sheet, either. Just pull the sheet up and fold their arms.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

If I didn't do post mortem care at my job, my butt would be hanging in the wind. Some nurses don't wash the body after death, and one told me that she wouldn't help me do it. I told her that was fine, BUT I was going to give the patient a bath before I dressed her and put on a clean brief.

I don't see how pulling out a cath, IV lines, and giving a bath is going to damage skin. It's never happened to me, and I've had many patients with very fragile skin. I'm not buying destroying evidence either. Most families know why their loved one passed and don't request an autopsy.

I'm sure the undertaker would have a lot of nasty and rude stuff to say if he got a body covered with urine, feces, fluids, and a dirty gown, no brief, etc.

I know heads would roll on my unit if this happened.

No way would I let one of my patients out of the room, let alone the building like that.

It's the last kind thing we can do for them after they've departed. It takes all of 15 minutes. It's time well spent.

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Specializes in Psych, substance abuse, MR-DD.
I have never heard of a RN or CNA, or anyone doing postmotem care....except a Mortician. A dead human body has to be treated in a certain way. This is what Morticians learn in Mortuary College. Changing a person's clothes after death, washing the body, closing the eyes and mouth are a Mortician's job....not a Nurse!

If you pull too hard on an eyelid and break the skin it will leak for hours after the body is embalmed. A scratch to an arm after death will also leak after embalming. All sorts of dammage that can be done by a well meaning Nurse. Any dammage to the skin after death will be a problem after embalming. Running a brush through someone's hair will leave marks on the scalp....many problems will occur during and after embalming if the body was not cared for by someone who is trained to take care of the dead. Washing, drying, moving arms and legs, closing eyes and mouth are all things that will dammage the tissues.

The correct thing to do is to cover the body with a sheet and call the Funeral Home or the Coroner. You should never fuss with a Coroners Case because you'll destroy evidence.

Nurses care for the sick and dying......Morticians care for the dead!

With all due respect, perhaps someone should explain what Hospice is to this person...

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Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.
With all due respect, perhaps someone should explain what Hospice is to this person...

ditto :stone

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Specializes in Hospice and Palliative Care, Family NP.
ditto :stone

Your right, because this is a Hospice forum, we all assumed that anyone posting on this board would understand the Hospice philosophy of care.

Hospice is a philosophy of care which provides end of life care to patients and their families who no longer wish to have curative treatments for their illness. The illness or disease process, would ultimately cause the patient's death if untreated, within a 6 month time frame, should the disease follow it's natural course. That does not mean the patient is kicked off hospice if they do not die within six months!

Most of theses patients have chosen to die in their homes, or hospice inpatient units and most of them, have Do Not Resucitate orders.

When the patient passes, they are not considered a case for the coroner's case. As a hospice nurse, we are called to the home to provide emotional support to the families, provide post-mortem care to the patient, such as cleaning them, changing their briefs, gowns, or whatever. Many patients have excessive body fluids in the form of sweat, urine, and feces. The nurse will also notifiy the attending MD to let him know when vital signs ceased, and the MD will call the death. This however, depends on each state's regulations.

This is a nutshell version, there is much more to hospice, but I was trying to give a very brief over-view for someone who might post here that is not a hospice nurse or who is trying to learn more about hospice.

Hope this helps some.

Cindy

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With all due respect, perhaps someone should explain what Hospice is to this person...

:up:

:nurse:

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Thak you for the Information..I apologise for calling it a death wash...My lecturer used that term ad at the time of joining the forum I used the term she used in the lecturer cos I did not know what else to call it...I didnot mean it disrepctively..I just didnot know anyother term for it..Than you reading all the replys have helped me understand that it is part of our duty...I just had never know about any of the thinks that happen when we die..Call it me being naive but i was so involved with getin my head around treatin patients when they are alive I just never thought of dead..Silly hmm..Put it down to naivety...I am so sorry for offending anyone and again thank you I am not so scared now

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Specializes in Hospice and Palliative Care, Family NP.
Thak you for the Information..I apologise for calling it a death wash...My lecturer used that term ad at the time of joining the forum I used the term she used in the lecturer cos I did not know what else to call it...I didnot mean it disrepctively..I just didnot know anyother term for it..Than you reading all the replys have helped me understand that it is part of our duty...I just had never know about any of the thinks that happen when we die..Call it me being naive but i was so involved with getin my head around treatin patients when they are alive I just never thought of dead..Silly hmm..Put it down to naivety...I am so sorry for offending anyone and again thank you I am not so scared now

Awww No problem. I guess we all get so caught up in what WE know, we tend to think it is common knowledge. So sorry if we came down too hard. HOspice nurses really are nice people! :nuke:

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