diff --git a/cron/dailyroutine.php b/cron/dailyroutine.php
index 27b4bd79..f8398fb4 100644
--- a/cron/dailyroutine.php
+++ b/cron/dailyroutine.php
@@ -51,9 +51,8 @@
             $row['diff'] = $date2->diff($date1)->format('%a');
 
             if ($row['diff'] > $row['treshold']) {
-                db_query('UPDATE people SET deleted = :now WHERE id = :id', ['id' => $row['id'], 'now' => $now]);
+                db_query('UPDATE people SET deleted = :now, modified = :now, modified_by = :user WHERE id = :id', ['user' => $_SESSION['user']['id'], 'id' => $row['id'], 'now' => $now]);
                 simpleSaveChangeHistory('people', $row['id'], 'Record deleted by daily routine', $now);
-                db_touch('people', $row['id']);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -64,9 +63,8 @@
     FROM people AS p1, people AS p2 
     WHERE p2.parent_id = p1.id AND p1.deleted AND (NOT p2.deleted OR p2.deleted IS NULL)');
     while ($row = db_fetch($result)) {
-        db_query('UPDATE people SET deleted = :now WHERE id = :id', ['id' => $row['id'], 'now' => $now]);
+        db_query('UPDATE people SET deleted = :now, modified = :now, modified_by = :user WHERE id = :id', ['user' => $_SESSION['user']['id'], 'id' => $row['id'], 'now' => $now]);
         simpleSaveChangeHistory('people', $row['id'], 'Record deleted by daily routine because head of family/beneficiary was deleted', $now);
-        db_touch('people', $row['id']);
     }
 
     // this notifies us when a new installation of the Drop App is made
diff --git a/library/lib/database.php b/library/lib/database.php
index 613c1815..f9170b21 100644
--- a/library/lib/database.php
+++ b/library/lib/database.php
@@ -248,13 +248,6 @@ function db_tableexists($table, $dbid = false)
     return in_array($table, $tables);
 }
 
-function db_touch($table, $id)
-{
-    if (db_fieldexists($table, 'modified')) {
-        db_query('UPDATE '.$table.' SET modified = NOW(), modified_by = :user WHERE id = :id', ['user' => $_SESSION['user']['id'], 'id' => $id]);
-    }
-}
-
 function db_simulate($query, $array = [], $dbid = false)
 {
     global $defaultdbid;