Keep an eye out for your neighbours: RSL
Jonathon Lea
Hundreds of people died alone last year and were only found weeks or months after they passed away.
Almost 300 bodies were handed over to the State Coroner last year.
In all cases they'd been dead for at least a week before their bodies were found, but in some cases their deaths hadn't been reported for almost two years. Although most died because of natural causes, one woman suffered an agonising death after becoming too weak to reach food left at the foot of her bed. The Salvation Army says the elderly are the most vulnerable to die a lonely death with a more vigilant community needed to stem the problem.
National President of the RSL Major General Bill Cruise says neighbours should stop by to say hello. “It’s an important thing for those living alone to have someone who can watch over them and just make sure they’re still OK.”“That’s the important thing,” he said.
“They don’t need to go and spend a lot of time with them just to make sure they’re OK and to make sure they have what they need.”
SOURCE: macquarie national news
No comments:
Post a Comment