Hygienic care for the dead
The hygienic Dead supply (also called "hygienic primary care") is one of the modern funeral services on the preparations that are carried out between the occurrence of death and final burial the body of a deceased. The transitions to thanatopraxia in the narrower sense are fluid.
tasks
The aim of basic hygienic care is to bring the corpse into a condition that is as hygienic, aesthetic and dignified as possible before its final burial (which can take place by burial or cremation ). This is particularly important if the body is to be laid out.
In cases in which the basic hygienic care of the corpse alone is not sufficient, it can be supplemented with other thanatopractical treatment methods , such as special cosmetics, restoration / reconstruction of the aesthetic appearance of the body and embalming ( modern embalming ).
method
The basic hygienic care usually takes place before a dead person is dressed and laid in the coffin. It is often carried out in specially equipped rooms, mostly in funeral homes , but also in prosecures in hospitals and cemetery halls.
For basic hygienic care, the deceased is placed on the treatment table and completely undressed, the head is raised with a support in the neck. Usually, the corpse is raised with several metal bars or perforated metal cassettes, which lie across the section table, so that the water and possibly also body fluids can run off better during washing.
At the start of treatment, all patches , bandages, probes, urine bags , catheters , pacemakers and similar medical supplies are removed.
This is followed by disinfection , in which the skin and all body orifices are sprayed with a disinfectant. The deceased is completely soaped up and washed with cold water, coarse dirt as well as body fluids and dried blood are removed. Any wounds are sutured or, as the case may be, glued and / or cauterized .
Men, sometimes women, have their faces shaved, and fingernails are cleaned and cut. The hair is washed thoroughly with shampoo and blow-dried, the body and the treatment table are completely dried off. Now the deceased is creamed with a special moisture-regulating massage cream and massaged to the rigor mortis ( latin rigor mortis to solve) and to a potential, caused by the cooling of the dead dehydration of the skin to prevent. Then all body openings such as nasal passages, throat, anus, etc. are closed with cotton wool and a moisture-binding powder to prevent body fluids from escaping. Any prostheses are cleaned and inserted accordingly. The mouth is closed with a so-called ligature . The lower jaw is tied from the inside to the nasal septum with a cotton thread and a surgical needle , so that the upper and lower jaw are fixed to one another. The eyes are closed by placing small contact lens-like, nubbed plastic caps on the eyeballs and pulling the eyelids over them again. This prevents the post-mortem sinking of the eyelids and the possible reopening of the eyelids due to dehydration.
Then the dead can be dressed. After getting dressed, hairdressing and a cosmetic treatment, such as powdering and applying make-up on the face, follow. At the end the deceased is embedded in the coffin .
In cases in which the described procedure is not sufficient to be able to present the deceased to the relatives in a dignified manner, the basic hygienic care can be supplemented with additional thanatopractical treatment methods . This can be the case, for example, if a long-term laying out in an open coffin is planned or the body is disfigured as a result of violence, accidental death, illness, discoloration, exceptionally rapid decomposition, suicide, etc. Possible methods include the use of special cosmetics, the restoration / reconstruction of the aesthetic appearance of the corpse, and embalming.
Situation then and now
Until the first half of the 20th century, the preparation and washing of corpses was usually carried out by the relatives and increasingly by the corpse women alone, whereas today this task is usually carried out by undertakers and thanatopractors / practical thanatologists. Nevertheless, some funeral directors still offer the possibility today that relatives can look after, prepare and dress their deceased themselves with the help of the undertaker. This can also make a significant contribution to coping with grief .
Since in Germany a qualified professional training as a "funeral specialist" or "qualified undertaker " is not absolutely necessary in order to practice this profession, not all funeral directors offer the service of hygienic care for the dead or even thanatopraxia. Many undertakers therefore only dress the deceased, place them in the coffin and present the deceased in this state to their relatives.
See also
literature
- Carmen Thomas : What professionals do . In: fear of contact? How to deal with the corpse . 3. Edition. vgs, Cologne 1999, ISBN 3-8025-1279-0 , p. 197 .