Left to their own Devices

[justine]

Caught this in the news and it shocks me that this man was never looked after....

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080208/tuk-decade-old-corpse-found-in-flat-45dbed5_2.html

I cant see how this poor man was never helped in this situation.Is there nothing that states that when people get older they should be checked up on to make sure that they are capable of looking after themselves in society.I have noticed that there is alot of old people who are found dead in their homes maybe a couple of weeks after they have passed away..They should come up with a solution that all old people are checked up on by authorities when they reach a certain age, to make sure they are fully ok...

[TBH]

Caught this in the news and it shocks me that this man was never looked after....

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080208/tuk-decade-old-corpse-found-in-flat-45dbed5_2.html (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080208/tuk-decade-old-corpse-found-in-flat-45dbed5_2.html)

I cant see how this poor man was never helped in this situation.Is there nothing that states that when people get older they should be checked up on to make sure that they are capable of looking after themselves in society.I have noticed that there is alot of old people who are found dead in their homes maybe a couple of weeks after they have passed away..They should come up with a solution that all old people are checked up on by authorities when they reach a certain age, to make sure they are fully ok...Pretty tragic story but why did it take ten years for the smell to become noticeable?
Anyhow, I don't think it would be viable to keep an eye on every old person who for all intents and purposes are fit and well enough to look after themselves. People sometimes just die because they are old and their time is up, nothing to do with illness and as these people are capable of living an independent life they are not in the loop of the medical services, why should they be? These stories although tragic are not all that common.

[justine]

Pretty tragic story but why did it take ten years for the smell to become noticeable?
Anyhow, I don't think it would be viable to keep an eye on every old person who for all intents and purposes are fit and well enough to look after themselves. People sometimes just die because they are old and their time is up, nothing to do with illness and as these people are capable of living an independent life they are not in the loop of the medical services, why should they be? These stories although tragic are not all that common.

I cant figure out how it took ten years to be found.If he left the body on the couch i am sure someone must have noticed when he first passed on..I know it is not viable for them to be checked up on but it makes sense that they at least try....I cannot imagine what the man must have thought having his mate on the couch for ten years and not understanding what happened and what he was supposed to do...

[j4bberw0ck]

They should come up with a solution that all old people are checked up on by authorities when they reach a certain age, to make sure they are fully ok...

([Not-Having-A-Go-Alert])

Ahh! The all-seeing, all-knowing, all-fixing "They" :lol: . The same "They" who, I'm sure, have amongst them those would be very happy to put CCTV in each and every room of each and every home so they can "look after us".

There used to be a solution; it was called "family". And sometimes, "neighbours". Or even "friends".

Then we invented social workers and social services and Welfare States and everybody thought "Phew! That's lucky! Now it's someone else's problem!" And people started to die alone in their homes with no food, no heating, and nobody caring because, of course, even "they" can't really be everywhere all the time. "They" just pretend "they" can.

([/Not-Having-A-Go-Alert])

[justine]

([Not-Having-A-Go-Alert])

Ahh! The all-seeing, all-knowing, all-fixing "They" :lol: . The same "They" who, I'm sure, have amongst them those would be very happy to put CCTV in each and every room of each and every home so they can "look after us".

There used to be a solution; it was called "family". And sometimes, "neighbours". Or even "friends".

Then we invented social workers and social services and Welfare States and everybody thought "Phew! That's lucky! Now it's someone else's problem!" And people started to die alone in their homes with no food, no heating, and nobody caring because, of course, even "they" can't really be everywhere all the time. "They" just pretend "they" can.

([/Not-Having-A-Go-Alert])

Perfect diagnosis again my friend.Well done you...

[Sapphire2803]

The problem for a lot of elderly folk is that they no longer have any friends or family. Neighbours have a lot to answer for though. When I was working as a home carer in Portsmouth, there was an old guy found living in terrible conditions. His pensions were paid into the bank and he would order take away food to be delivered, paying by card. he could no longer get upstairs (where the bathroom was) and he was living in his own filth. He was found when neighbours complained about the smell, but it didn't occur to them to pop round and knock on the door. It wasn't their problem apparently. They weren't worried that he could be seriously ill or dead, but they soon did something when his house was lowering the tone of the area... wouldn't want to lose value on their houses eh?

[matelot79]

Is this the same one that was on the news and that there had been someone living in the same flat for 8 years with the corpse on the sofa.