I present this to the collective for no other reason, than I saw something on line about an old man that lived by him self and passed away in his sleep. Something we all aspire to do at some point, but I digress. What if you died in your sleep tonight, with out anyone living with you. Who would be the one to raise an alarm or even notice, and how long would it be?
Pondering a philosophical question
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Interesting idea for a service or app. But, people have medical emergencies as well. How long would it take to get help?
Then, there are the people who drive off embankments and just disappear.
Then, there are the people who drive off embankments and just disappear.
armylifer
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I have never given much thought about dying alone but I know what some do. Maybe if there were an app like an alarm that automatically calls a designated person if you do not shut it off at a preselected time. Would that be something worth getting?
Well, I'm a pretty large guy .... so I'd assume it would take at least 2 or 3 weeks for my 2 german shepherds to eat the good parts off my body Before they started looking for other food sources
I guess when the mail started piling up at the mailbox.... Maybe someone would could come knocking.... ???
but then again I have a driveway gate that says GO AWAY
So it might actually be 6 months or so before anyone investigated.... maybe longer.
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Due to my pre-retirement profession, I was a part of dealing with the cleanup of a few hundred situations where someone died alone at home or all the residents of the home died during the same incident. Some went to sleep and didn’t wake up. Some accidental drug overdoses. Some suicides and murder/suicides.
The way the deceased folks were discovered varied, but pretty much fell into three categories. Earliest discovery (and most popular with the cases I dealt with) was usually someone they were regularly in contact with noticed their absence and checked on them themselves or via law enforcement welfare check. They didn’t show up for work, didn’t respond to a friend’s daily phone call, didn’t show up for lunch at the restaurant they ate at every day, etc.
Second most popular method of discovery was neighbors smelled something bad, it got worse over a few days, and they started investigating the source. Usually that was in a neighborhood or multi-family dwelling.
Last was mail piling up, bills going unpaid, and eventually in the course of someone trying to collect on those unpaid bills they realized their collection target might be deceased which caused them to call law enforcement for a welfare check. That one could take a while, but when the unpaid bills resulted in a personal visit to the residence (posting notice before shutting off power, mail deliverer walks up to front door to look around due to mail piled up, etc.) the smell often resulted in a law enforcement visit.
As best I recall, the longest anyone went undiscovered on anything I was involved with was estimated at 6 months based on a variety of information. That was an elderly lady who was quite isolated to the point of near hermit status. Most all bills were on auto pay. Only income was social security that auto deposited. So her relatively simple financial life continued rolling despite her demise. Eventually, the property got to looking so neglected people in the community got to discussing when was the last time anyone saw her, which led to a welfare check.
I guess the point of that is if you live alone and it matters to you how long your body would be left unattended after your spirit has departed, you about have to have at least one person that will go looking for you if you don’t communicate with them for a couple days even if it’s just a “good morning” text and response to verify you’re both still alive.
The way the deceased folks were discovered varied, but pretty much fell into three categories. Earliest discovery (and most popular with the cases I dealt with) was usually someone they were regularly in contact with noticed their absence and checked on them themselves or via law enforcement welfare check. They didn’t show up for work, didn’t respond to a friend’s daily phone call, didn’t show up for lunch at the restaurant they ate at every day, etc.
Second most popular method of discovery was neighbors smelled something bad, it got worse over a few days, and they started investigating the source. Usually that was in a neighborhood or multi-family dwelling.
Last was mail piling up, bills going unpaid, and eventually in the course of someone trying to collect on those unpaid bills they realized their collection target might be deceased which caused them to call law enforcement for a welfare check. That one could take a while, but when the unpaid bills resulted in a personal visit to the residence (posting notice before shutting off power, mail deliverer walks up to front door to look around due to mail piled up, etc.) the smell often resulted in a law enforcement visit.
As best I recall, the longest anyone went undiscovered on anything I was involved with was estimated at 6 months based on a variety of information. That was an elderly lady who was quite isolated to the point of near hermit status. Most all bills were on auto pay. Only income was social security that auto deposited. So her relatively simple financial life continued rolling despite her demise. Eventually, the property got to looking so neglected people in the community got to discussing when was the last time anyone saw her, which led to a welfare check.
I guess the point of that is if you live alone and it matters to you how long your body would be left unattended after your spirit has departed, you about have to have at least one person that will go looking for you if you don’t communicate with them for a couple days even if it’s just a “good morning” text and response to verify you’re both still alive.
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As an aside, if I died and no one knew, would I care? Probably not.
I'd not want to die at home with my wife there. Having to deal with dead me, the police investigating, makes for a very lousy day. I'd rather get ill and be at the hospital and die, if my wife was around.
Alone? Does a tree falling in the woods make a sound? More importantly, do I hear it?
I'd not want to die at home with my wife there. Having to deal with dead me, the police investigating, makes for a very lousy day. I'd rather get ill and be at the hospital and die, if my wife was around.
Alone? Does a tree falling in the woods make a sound? More importantly, do I hear it?
My BIL died a month ago, he was suffering from Parkinson's. His daughters would text him every day or two, as his speech was getting really difficult to understand. Sometimes he didn't respond for a couple of days, so eventually when he didn't respond, and text messages weren't delivered, they went to investigate. They found him on the floor in his bedroom, probably dead for nearly a week. It wasn't pretty.
I talk to, email and text several people every day, and a close friend stops by every couple of days, so It wouldn't be long until someone would investigate.
I talk to, email and text several people every day, and a close friend stops by every couple of days, so It wouldn't be long until someone would investigate.
Something like this?
www.wgal.com
Sheriff's Sale | Woman's body discovered in home after new owner inspects property
A sheriff's sale in Pennsylvania is a public real estate auction following a court-ordered foreclosure.
www.wgal.com
Lou, if you have some folks you are close to, maybe set up a group that checks in every morning with each other. My wife does that with her sister, and a couple of good friends who lost their husbands several years ago, so they are alone.
I’d be more worried about having a fall and being injured and unable to call for help. If you simply die in your sleep you have nothing to worry about…
I don’t live alone. …. (and she doesn’t pay any attention to me anyway, so I doubt she’d notice until I began to smell worse than I do already)
(that is only a joke. I’m very lucky to have a great, attentive wife and loving family)
This reminds me of a humorous moment in a movie*: If a man places the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turns the dishwasher “on”….. and no one sees him do it…. Did he?
*movie - “Kate and Leopold”
Unfortunately this just happen to a friend of mine. He when out to his Camp to clear trails and cut fire wood. His family didn’t hear from him. The next day they found him next to his 4 wheeler out on the property a mile or so from the Camp. Very sad, he was one of the nicest folks I’ve ever known. RIP Dennis.
Well, this sounds like he died Happy doing what he liked to do. RIP
This is how my GrandFather-in-Law died…. while out on a pre-season deer-scouting trip…driving his favorite vehicle looking-over the wildlife….. he was observed to drive across a pasture at walking-speed…. right into a large tree trunk which stopped the vehicle.
When all the uncles and cousins went over to check on what they thought was an accidental collision with a tree…. they found him sitting in the drivers-seat dead from a heart attack.
80 yrs old…. doing what he liked.
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Runs With Scissors
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Amazon, Vevor, Colt and Smitty’s Liquor store would all be weeping…... and filing for Chapter 7…...
Just Sayin...
Just Sayin...
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