When neighbourliness can save lives

Published on Friday 3 July 2009 22:20

HOW can the body of a frail, elderly woman lie forsaken in her tenement flat, in heart of the capital of Scotland, for perhaps as long as five years without anyone noticing? Or, indeed, without a soul bothering to discover what had happened to her? But, incredibly, the remains of Isabella Purves, who would have been 90 this year, have been discovered at her home in Rodney Street after a water leak led to the police breaking down her door. Ms Purves appears to have died of natural causes.

The real cause for concern lies with the ailing state of modern society

that could let such a thing happen.

Ms Purves is not an isolated case. Last October, police in Stirling discovered the body of Patricia Ross, who was in her eighties. She had lain dead for almost a year in her tenement flat in the town centre, where she had lived for 16 years. Also last year, the semi-mummified body of 70-year-old Brian Dean was found after neighbours at his home near Burnley finally became concerned about his welfare and called the police. He had been dead two years.

Perhaps the next generation of old folk – the "baby boomers" – might be savvy enough to use the internet and Twitter to keep in touch with the rest of the world. More likely, with the number of pensioners set to grow, there will be more Isabella Purves. Yet the solution does not require technology. It only needs neighbours to keep a friendly eye on each other. When did you last speak to yours?