Bodies at formal open casket funerals will not smell bad due to having been embalmed shortly after death. However, smells such as perfumes or flowers may be common at an open casket funeral. Bodies with unavoidable smells will typically not be offered an open casket funeral.
It's closed but I'm wondering how (forgive the delicate question) it won't smell? They are embalmed before being placed in the coffin for preservation. The coffin is also lined, which helps seal damp and moisture out. The embalming is done very quickly after death.
The fluid we use in the trocar is very strong and, for the most part, is able to preserve the entire abdomen and chest. The chemical formaldehyde is used to preserve bodies. What does it do exactly? Formaldehyde changes the tissue on a molecular level so that the bacteria can't feed on the tissue.
Unlike other products that mask and deodorize odors, Neutrolene neutralizes and eliminates odors. We use Neutrolen every day and can testify to how good it is. We use it at scene directly on bodies as well as in the morgue to control ongoing smells. This is a true product that does not overstate its effects.
For open casket viewings family members are often given private time to view the body to allow them to grieve. Generally, you are not allowed to touch the body or make any comments about the person's appearance.
However, you can give a gentle kiss on the cheek or touch the hand. Keep in mind though that the body will feel cold and hard to the touch. If you're taking your kid with you, let them know in advance about the occasion so they don't feel uncomfortable. You may also stand further away from the casket.
It may not be appropriate to bring your children to an open casket funeral if they barely knew the deceased; similarly, an open casket funeral for Grandma might be traumatising for them. If you do plan to bring your kids to a viewing or open casket funeral, have a conversation with them beforehand.
Even after the dead body has been removed and the unattended death has been remediated, there still can be a lingering odor of the dead body. This happens because the odor permeates items made of all fabric and other porous material.
While odor from a dead body isn't a biohazard, the odor is definitely something you need to have permanently removed because it will not go away on its own.
While putrefaction can last up to several months depending on the situation, the smell will remain until all traces are properly decontaminated.
Before the embalming begins, the body is washed in a disinfectant solution. Limbs are massaged to relieve the stiffening of the joints and muscles. Any necessary shaving would also take place at this time. Your loved ones eyes are closed using glue or plastic eye caps that sit on the eye and hold the eyelid in place.
Embalming doesn't remove any organ in the body. Instead, the embalmer replaces the blood with embalming fluid – formaldehyde-based chemicals – through the arteries.
A body may be different in death to life because:
a mortician or funeral director has changed a body's appearance through clothing, or hair arrangement, or cosmetics. Such “dressing” of the body may be very different to how the person in life would have done it. the body smells different.
24-72 hours postmortem: internal organs begin to decompose due to cell death; the body begins to emit pungent odors; rigor mortis subsides. 3-5 days postmortem: as organs continue to decompose, bodily fluids leak from orifices; the skin turns a greenish color.
Blood and other fluids are drained from the body, and an embalming solution is then injected with a pump into an artery—typically the right carotid artery, in the side of the neck—while the embalmer massages the veins and extremities to circulate the fluid throughout the body.
But one thing in common is that the legs are neatly covered either with a blanket or half-covered with the lid of a casket. Why do they cover the legs in a casket? When a person dies, the feet swell, making it difficult for the shoes to fit, which is why the legs are covered.
Physical signs
Facial muscles may relax and the jaw can drop. Skin can become very pale. Breathing can alternate between loud rasping breaths and quiet breathing. Towards the end, dying people will often only breathe periodically, with an intake of breath followed by no breath for several seconds.
A dead body emits a pungent, overpowering odor that is often compared to rotting meat, rotten eggs, or sewage. This smell is caused by the release of chemical compounds during decomposition, such as Skatole, putrescine, cadaverine, and hydrogen sulfide.
24-72 hours after death — the internal organs decompose. 3-5 days after death — the body starts to bloat and blood-containing foam leaks from the mouth and nose. 8-10 days after death — the body turns from green to red as the blood decomposes and the organs in the abdomen accumulate gas.
DEAD BODIES SIT UP ON THE MEDICAL TABLE. This horror-movie trope just isn't real. During decomposition, a body might twitch or make small movements and noises due to the gas and waste released by bacteria. A decomposing corpse can definitely move a little, but sitting straight up is just not going to happen.
Morgues keep dead bodies until they can be identified or undergo an autopsy. Hospitals include morgues for the bodies of patients who have died until they can be taken away to a funeral home. The morgue keeps the body refrigerated to prevent biological decay.
The Foul Odour Factor in a Mortuary
Although the decomposition of a dead body is slow in the refrigerated environment, it never stops and leads to accumulation of gases such as Thiol, Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S), Ammonia (NH3), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOX).
If your child is around four years old and older, it's important to discuss what an open casket is and to see if they feel comfortable seeing it themselves. If they are not comfortable with seeing an open casket, it's important to be supportive of their decision.
These might include: People may touch the deceased individual's body, disturbing the makeup, hair, and clothing. The deceased individual may not look the same as they did when alive, causing distress to loved ones. People attending the visitation or funeral may have more emotional responses to an open casket.
No one want to be photographed when grieving, so you want to avoid that. You definitely do not want to take a picture of the casket, because that can be highly disrespectful, as well.