View Single Post
Old 07-05-2012, 11:39 AM   #20
wolf
lobber of scimitars
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phila Burbs
Posts: 20,774
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisinhouston View Post
Seriously, this is what my wife and I said. In most states if a person dies at home and is not in Hospice care they have to do an autopsy to ensure the death was a natural one. And in Texas even if someone is in Hospice care and dies at home there is a rule that the burial must be no sooner then 24 hours from the death.

CNN noted that no cause of death had been released either by the EMS team that went to the home or by the mortuary that handled the burial. I looked up embalming and it can be done in 2-3 hours so either they were very prepared to do it or it was what is called a "green burial" which some states allow and some don't.
My understanding is that In most states there is no autopsy following a hospice death. The death is expected. Also, part of a hospice contract is that you will not call EMS for anything ... including the passing. You, or rather, the hospice nurse that pronounces the death calls the funeral home to come and get the body. That's the way it works in Pennsylvania, anyway. I've done this twice in recent years.

Autopsies happen automatically in cases of unexpected death at home, or within 24 hours of a hospital admission.
__________________
wolf eht htiw og

"Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island

High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis
wolf is offline   Reply With Quote