How many elderly people were found dead in their homes several days after their death in Brittany last year?
In the absence of public statistics, we rely on data from articles in the regional daily press. We discovered that in Brittany, according to these sources, seven people were discovered dead in their homes, several days, weeks, even months, after their death.
This is a catastrophic situation. How is this explained?
We are at the most extreme consequence of isolation which is increasing, particularly among the elderly. And particularly, those we call in a situation of social death, that is to say people who, during their lifetime, have no contact with their family, nor with their friends, the neighborhood, nor with the associative fabric . For us, it is dramatic because it is the sign of a society where there is extremely serious isolation.
How can we put an end to these situations?
We need a major mobilization. We must have real visibility by creating, for example, an observatory of solitary death. There is also the possibility of working with public authorities, for example, or with companies such as the Post Office or energy distributors by carrying out experiments.
-A person who has had no movement in their bank account, who has had no energy consumption, is perhaps a person who has died… And then, it is everyone’s responsibility. When you have a neighbor and you notice that their mailbox is overflowing, knocking on their door to find out if everything is okay is important.
You make an observation and suggestions. But you can’t do it alone.
We need political will and we need a connected society. The possibility that everyone is responsible for each other on the scale of their neighborhood, their village. Of course, public authorities must get involved. The chain of solidarity from the neighbor to the person who decides is extremely important.
To avoid these inhumane and unacceptable situations, certain signs must make us react. I invite everyone to download our information kit from our website.
