A Day in Life of a Morgue Assistant:

Death is scary to many people, a sad way of ending life but provides means of making a living to some people; morgue assistants. Unknown to many, it’s among the best paying jobs which does not require education certificates or work experience. Morgue assistants are very important, they are the mortuary housekeepers. They make death appear reasonable and an eventuality people have to pass through for others to make a living. Their important role is to make sure human dignity is maintained even at death. The following is a guide of a day in the life of a morgue assistant: Cleaning and maintenance: Mortuary are among businesses with a very high professional setting, as a result, people who run morgue businesses ensure the outside remains as clean as the inside. A morgue assistant spend the early part of the day up the morgue and ensuring mortuary vehicles such as hearse vehicles are regularly serviced. If not having a busy schedule, he sweeps the compound, perform landscaping to make sure the mortuary displays a clean image. Removing the body: After a person has died, the morgue assistant using the mortuary van picks the body from its location and transfers it to the morgue. In the morgue, depending with specific morgues, the body is cleaned, and transferred to the refrigerator awaiting examinations, burial or cremation. It is the duty of a morgue assistant to pick unclaimed bodies. Unclaimed bodies are transferred to govern owned morgues by cops until its claimed. Preparing the body for examination: Before the pathologist arrives at the morgue to conduct postmortems, the assistant ensures all tools of trade are available and in working condition. This includes sharpening knives and scalpels. After the pathologist has arrived and ready, the morgue assistant transfers the body from the refrigerator to the examining table. During the body examination process, he assists the pathologist to record any vital information in regards to the body. After body examination, the morgue assistant cleans the used knives, scalpels, trays, dirty linens and lastly the examining body. Preparing the remains for burial: Some states require morgue assistants to have embalming knowledge. It is important to know how to prepare the remains before they are picked for burial. To learn how to embalm a body successfully, the morgue assistant watches a professional embalmer perform and learnt from the act. In preparing the remains for burial, he cleans the body, dresses it and beautifies it during visitation and viewing. He is also responsible for releasing the body to the rightful and authorized owners. Participating in funeral services: The morgue assistant also prepares and attends funeral services. He is charged with setting the floral arrangement, lighting of candles and directing mourners. At the end of a requiem service, he closes the casket, drives the hearse to the cremation or grave site. He then lowers the body to the grave, picks his items and heads back to the morgue to end his day. He goes home at the evening, awaiting the following day to perform similar functions.