Who notices when an elderly neighbour goes silent?
Singapore needs a system in which an elderly person’s unexplained silence prompts someone to act. It’s not just those living alone who are at risk.
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A senior’s safety net is only as strong as its capacity to notice and act when the ordinary rhythm of life stops, says the writer.
ST PHOTO: SARAH LEE
Caroline Lim S. L.
On July 25, volunteers delivering bread at Block 58 Lengkok Bahru noticed that the previous week’s loaf was still hanging outside one flat. Police found its 78-year-old resident motionless inside and pronounced him dead at the scene.
A neighbour had last seen him on July 16, when he went downstairs to sing with other residents. He had lived in the block for more than 40 years. His sister visited him and helped to clean his flat.
