As Ada County grows, the Ada County Coroner’s Office has observed a steady increase in unclaimed decedents. Despite making the utmost efforts to locate legal next-of-kin and documentation, the only recourse for these decedents is to go through the government process for unclaimed/abandoned individuals. (Please refer to the “Unclaimed/Abandoned Process” page for more information on that system.) While this process is an integral service provided to those in need in the community, this service does come at a cost to the taxpayers of Ada County and should only be utilized for those individuals truly in need of indigent services. However, there are individuals who become unknowing participants in the Unclaimed/Abandoned Process due to a lack of final preparations for their estate. While they may have wished for a different final disposition, the necessary legal documents and representation of their opinions are not available in order for those wishes to be known and honored. Not only does this lack of final preparations potentially cause the decedent’s final wishes to not be met, but also creates an undue burden on the taxpayers of Ada County.
The Coroner’s Office is a government entity and as such is legally unable to advise members of the community on their choices for end-of-life preparations, however, we can strongly encourage everyone to research their options (in regard to wills, estate planning, etc.) to ensure their last wishes are met. While some are fortunate enough to get their affairs in order later in life without consequence, emergencies and unexpected health situations do happen catching many unprepared.