A resort community in Riverside County, Rancho Mirage has a year-round population of approximately 30,000 residents. In addition, the city has about 7,000 to 8,000 snowbirds that call Rancho Mirage home during the winter months, pushing the seasonal population closer to 40,000.

Just over 10 percent of the households in Rancho Mirage have children under the age of 18. A significant percentage of about 35 percent of the population consists of people in their Golden Years. A third of the senior citizens in the city live alone.

Rancho Mirage features an abundance of leisure time, recreational, cultural, dining, entertainment, and other opportunities for residents of and visitors to the city. The largest employer in Rancho Mirage is the Eisenhower Medical Center. The world-renowned Betty Ford Center, founded by the former U.S. First Lady of the same name, is also located in Rancho Mirage.

Unattended Death in Rancho Mirage

When a community has a larger population of single people living alone, particularly men and women in their Golden Years, there is necessarily going to be a larger number of what are know as unattended deaths occurring each year. Unattended deaths represent one of the true tragedies associated with living alone in some cases.

An unattended death is not just dying outside the presence of a medical professional. Moreover, it is not just dying completely alone. Another component is associated with an unattended death. Specifically, not only does a person die alone but the remains of that individual are not promptly found. Days, weeks, even months have been known to pass before the bodies of some people who died an unattended death are discovered.

The exact number of people who die unattended deaths in Rancho Mirage is not precisely known. The most commonplace underlying causes of unattended deaths among Rancho Mirage seniors are:

  • Natural causes (old age)
  • Disease
  • Sudden illness
  • Accident
  • Accidental medication overdose

When an unattended death is discovered, the human decomposition process will be well underway. The physical scene can be described as gruesome, both visually and when it comes to the odors associated with the decomposition process itself.

Starting immediately after a person dies, the decomposition process commences. The first major parts of the body impacted by death are the pancreas and intestines. By that, it is meant the bacteria in these organs lose their source of nourishment when blood stops flowing. Thus, the bacteria turn on their host and consume these organs. Within two to three days, these organs disintegrate, causing the release of bacteria throughout the body. Within a matter of days after that occurs, bodily fluids of all types seep from the body. In a similar vein, the body starts releasing different types of malodorous gases.

In addition, to be being unpleasant in appearance and smell, these liquids and gases leaving the body are also dangerous. They can contain dangerous pathogens, disease-causing agents that can make a person who comes into contact with the remains and the death scene ill, even fatally so.

In the end, an individual who discovers the remains of an unattended death faces a situation not only horrific in its appearance but dangerous in its elements. The emotional impact of discovering a person who died an unattended death, and who was not promptly discovered, truly is profound. 

There are other types of deaths classified as unattended as well. These include suicide and homicide. Victims of suicide and homicide may not be discovered for some time, as is the case with some people who live alone and die within the confines of their homes.

Biohazard Cleanup in Rancho Mirage

Due to the physical risks, coupled with the emotional trauma, associated with dealing with the aftermath of an unattended death, or suicide or homicide for that matter, retaining the services of a professional biohazard cleanup specialist is recommended. In the end, undertaking a clean up of this nature without professional assistance unnecessarily exposes a person to potentially significant health risks as well as the likely aggravation of already virtually overwhelming emotional challenges.

Ranch Mirage Grief Therapists

Dealing with grief and shock following the discovery of an unattended death can be highly challenging. Oftentimes, a person needs professional assistance to get through the bereavement process. A therapist assists in determining what course of therapy makes the most sense. Options include group grief therapy as well as individual grief therapy. Ranch Mirage grief therapists include:

William Rose
71687 Highway 111, Suite 202
Rancho Mirage, California 92270
(760) 621-5367

Joan Moyer
41-750 Rancho Las Palmas Drive, Suite K-1
Rancho Mirage, California 92270
(760) 636-0314

April Hanig
Rancho Mirage, California 92270
(760) 813-3347

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