Factors to Consider when Selecting a Body Storage Facility
Selecting an Appropriate Body Storage Facility
Choosing a body storage facility for a deceased loved one can be a stressful process due to the number of providers available, including hospitals, mortuaries, hospices, and funeral homes. To ensure quality services and value for money, it is important to consider several key factors.
Accommodating Any Body Size
A facility should be properly equipped with cooling systems capable of preserving bodies of all sizes, from newborns to the elderly. For deceased newborns, it is especially important that families have the option to spend time with their baby without compromising preservation.
Flexmort supplies hospitals, hospices, funeral homes, and doulas with CuddleCots—a device that gently cools both pre-term and full-term babies without the use of refrigerants. Unlike traditional cold cots, the CuddleCot can be used with a parent’s bed, facility bassinets, or cots, and even with the baby’s own blankets. Using flexible cooling pads, the CuddleCot allows families to continue holding their baby while ensuring gentle cooling.
For larger individuals, storage facilities should have cooling mechanisms that can accommodate bariatric individuals. Mobile cooling solutions are also beneficial, allowing for viewings, religious rites, or other ceremonies without disrupting preservation.
Flexmort offers two solutions for bariatric individuals:
CuddleBlanket – A portable, individual cooling system that gently cools the deceased in any bed, cot, or coffin. Designed for children, adults and bariatric individuals.
Bariatric Portable Pop-Up Mortuary Storage – Designed with wide apertures to accommodate bariatric individuals. (To learn more, click here.)
Accommodating a Large Number of Deceased
A body storage facility should have sufficient capacity to accommodate a large number of deceased, particularly in the event of catastrophic incidents such as accidents, terrorist attacks, or natural disasters. The facility should be able to scale up quickly in response to mass fatalities.
Disaster Portable Morgue Units are deployed to manage a surge in deceased individuals, and the Flexmort AirCool supports this work by enabling emergency response teams globally by rapidly expanding morgue capacity. Designed for use in challenging environments, the AirCool is a scalable solution that enables teams to react quickly during a disaster.
Controlling Body Odours
It is common for bodies to release fluids, particularly after post-mortem examinations. A well-equipped facility should have proper mechanisms, such as absorbent pads, to contain bodily fluids and prevent distressing situations for the bereaved.
Additionally, effective odour control measures should be in place to minimize or eliminate the smells associated with decomposition or improper refrigeration. Facilities should use specialized products to manage odours, ensuring a dignified environment for families visiting their loved ones.
Identifying Body Parts
In cases of traumatic deaths resulting in dismemberment, proper body part identification methods are essential to ensure that bereaved families receive their loved one’s remains accurately.
To achieve this, body storage facilities should implement DNA and antibody profiling, particularly when remains arrive in separate parts. Antibody profiling is an advanced forensic technique that is even more precise than DNA analysis, especially in cases involving identical twins.
Providing Mobility Aids
To accommodate bereaved family members with mobility challenges, facilities should invest in accessibility aids. This ensures that all visitors, regardless of physical ability, can move through the facility comfortably while mourning their loved ones.
Find out more about our Body Storage Systems
Contact our team to learn more about Flexmort solutions: Email Team
info@flexmort.com
