How sad to be so alone. I think things like that happen fairly frequently. My son’s friend finally called police when the neighbors mail piled up and other signs of things being amiss. It was a row house, but they were not particularly friendly with each other.

So very sad. Not sure why not even one neighbor didn’t at least question the boxes.

Although, they could have thought she was away, if they thought at all.

Sad for the animals as well.

That is very sad. I am in computer touch with a friend every morning. I also know all my neighbors within at least six houses either way. I would hope they would check on me, but hey, people are busy with their own lives. We do let each other know when we are going to be away. My great niece passed away from a drug overdose a few months ago. Her mother happened to be on vacation. Her friends couldn't get ahold of her so called her aunt who went to check on her and found her. It had been a couple of days at least. It might be a good idea to set up something like Annie's mother had. You just never know.

That's just awful. I'm in the same boat, though. I've warned my kids. Am looking into auto feeders/watering contraptions for Chewie.

So sad. My elderly aunt and I play Words with Friends together every day for just this reason. We each have local wellness contacts to call if one of us goes more than a day without playing. We always notify one another if we are going to be out-of-town or in hospital and won't be able to play.

The mother of a friend had a similar arrangement to Annie's where if her neighbor didn't see the mother's blinds raised by 1 p.m., she was supposed to call the police for a wellness check.

When my mother was living in her home alone two hours away, she would email when she got up and made her coffee every morning, often mid afternoon, and again as she was getting ready for bed at night. I could barely dare to be someplace away from computer access for the evening or she felt abandoned - I was part of her routine and you don't change routine with someone elderly. Her evening email would be sent not too long after she'd arrived home from her evening swim at the Y - she went 6 nights a week.

We were the youngest on our block for many decades. We had an arrangement with two of the neighbors where they would open a blind in both their houses when they got up in the mornings, letting us know they were moving about and beginning their day.

We are now the first home on a short dead end street. The man directly across from us is retired air force. We returned home last night from a few days away and he reported 'DH's friend with silver truck had been here and carried in a package and mail. On Monday the mail carrier did not turn into our driveway so we must have had no mail that day. Friend was back mid afternoon yesterday and let himself inside, stayed less than an hour''. (I'm sure he'd made himself a drink and was unwinding from his pressured office day before going home, he does that often whether we are here or not).

If I were doing anything over here that required privacy I'd be annoyed but since I'm not, I appreciate the neighbor's close attention. That man misses nothing! DH is always careful to give him our itinerary so he's not watching the house and wondering what's going on that our movements are not our normal.

But I do absolutely agree that anyone living alone should have some kind of plan in place to touch base with another person every day. Years ago this small town had a woman for mayor who fell in her garage one evening. She laid on the cold cement floor for more than 24 hours and did not survive her injuries and the respiratory infection that followed.

I am a fan of apple watch in that, if you fall, it recognizes that and asks if it should call 911. If you don't respond, it will. Only thing is, if you have a stroke in bed at night, it's not going to help...it only detects falls.

Fun, a few years ago there was a news story a out a woman and her daughters who texted their Wordle scores to each other, every morning. When the mother didn’t text one day, the daughters texted her. Then they called her. Then they called the mother’s neighbor. It seems the mother had been the victim of a home invasion sometime in the previous 30 hours or so and was tied up and locked in a closet.

My siblings and I are all in our 60s, I’m the only one married or a parent. My siblings have each had health issues that could be trouble if they recur. It drives me crazy that they can take a day or a week or a month to reply to a text. I knew where the buddy of one worked, and figured I’d just call him if I hadn’t heard anything in a while. But, he’s left that position so that’s no good now. Both siblings are likely to take off for a weekend or a month, without telling anybody.

My sons live in the city and use the public transportation and sidewalks to get around. It worries me when they don’t reply to texts, too.

My brother and nephew are bad about replying to texts, too, @bpath. It makes me crazy. At least give me a quick check mark so I know you read it even if you don't want to respond further.

That's a horrible story, particularly for the poor animals that starved. I can't imagine boxes piled up and no one thought anything was wrong. I am not alone yet but if and when I am I will insist to my kids that I will text them every day at noon and if they don't hear from me, check. My husband's aunt and also one of my aunts fell and although they didn't die they lay there for a few days before being discovered with broken legs and hips. I am never without my Apple watch but that only alerts immediately if I have fallen, not if I just had a stroke. It would kill me if my three cats had to slowly starve to death. ..Although I live in a small town I have no immediate neighbors.

lily, maybe check with the town. Our senior center maintains a wellness check list where people call each other every am to check on them...

Reminds me of my friend ... she's 99 now ... was living alone at home years ago. She fell in the bathroom in the middle of the night and couldn't get up. She had the life alert around her neck, but didn't want to disturb the neighbors with all the fuss they make with ambulance and sirens...so she lay there for hours until it got to be later in the a.m. and then pressed the button!

Well, Annie, I wouldn't be bothered by calling for an ambulance in the middle of the night in my neighborhood. As many times as I've had to try and sleep through barking dogs, fireworks, etc...before a 12 or 16 hour shift.

Kathsgrdn- send your kids this topic . kids are so bad about thinking you will live forever. my two kids sure are, although when one daughter sent me two texts one nite and i was already asleep, she called other daughter to call me till i answered . and my kids saw me run a ross the street a couple of years when my Mom didnt answer. They know the drill, but get busy with their lives. for those that the window shade works, i think thats perfect

Here is this old fart, used to having the blessing of good health, who lived alone till son moved in a year and a half ago. My sod farmer landlord, son and workers go in and out, almost daily and sometimes several times a day - but almost never check on me and often don't see me or my action for days on end.

While I usually check with one church's senior men's social group weekly through most of the year, if I don't show for a week or so, no one's going to get bent out of shape, or even pay more than casual notice. Same for worship, as I connect with two churches, so wasn't missed if I didn't show for worship regularly at either, before my car died just over three years ago, and not replaced due to needing to take a driving test and licence cancelled later.

While I connect with friends, less frequently in person recently, but fairly often by phone or text, it's irregularly.

Now ... my son rides herd on me.

Daily ... but not quite hourly. Yet.

I was certainly less than sufficiently concerned about arranging regular checkup of my good health - and offering the same to a friend or two who lived alone.

ole joyful

This is such a sad, yet cautionary tale. Such things seem needless after the fact, don’t they? My elderly aunt (98) and the wife of a deceased cousin (early 80’s) live across the road from each other. They too have a morning window signal to each other. I feel so much better knowing this even though her son is in mostly regular contact with her. I’m about 15 minutes away and call about once every couple of weeks and visit occasionally. I hate to think I could potentially pass along some virus to her.