5 Cases in S’pore Where An Elderly Died Alone & Was Discovered Only After Some Time

By
Zhi Hao
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You may have already heard of the recent Bedok incident, wherein the body of a 74-year-old woman was found in an HDB flat in Bedok on Saturday (4 Sep).

But if you haven’t, you can click here to find out more.

Yet, it’s not so much of the death itself that intrigues the public. Though make no mistake; it’s certainly an unfortunate incident.

Rather, it’s the fact that her body was found an entire week after she died, that really gets us thinking.

Just how many have gone through their last moments, without anyone to see them through?

Though we have no specific number in mind, we did source five high-profile cases that are of a similar nature.

5 Cases in S’pore Where An Elderly Died Alone & Was Discovered Only After Some Time

1. The Hoarder

Back in 2019, a 68-year-old hoarder was found dead in a Bedok North flat.

A foul smell had emanated from the premises, and a neighbour called the police.

Apparently, the man had moved out years before, after his family expressed discontent over his hoarding habits.

The man reportedly suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure before he passed away.

A neighbour also claimed that the man seemed to be much thinner than before since a year ago, but was unsure of the cause of his death.

2. Blood Dripping Through Ceiling

This case occurred in 2019 as well.

One morning, a Tampines resident had noticed a dark red liquid seeping from the ceiling in her master bedroom.

This, coupled with an uncharacteristic smell, led her to suspect that it might be blood.

Her son-in-law subsequently called the police, and a 77-year-old was found deceased in his Tampines flat.

He was not seen days before his passing.

3. Bleeding Out Of The Front Door

In 2018, Mr Luo, 70, saw dark red liquid seeping out of a neighbour’s flat.

Intrigued, he touched it with his finger and took a whiff. Sensing something amiss, he began knocking on the door, but to no avail.

He then sought help from a private volunteer group, which accompanied him to scout the flat. Upon witnessing the dark trail of liquid, they called the police.

A 79-year-old man was found dead in his Beach Road flat.

Apparently, the deceased, a cleaner, had not turned up for work for five days.

4. Foul Smell

In 2016, a resident living in Geylang Bahru noticed that his neighbour’s door was shut.

This was uncharacteristic, considering how the neighbour would usually leave the door slightly open during the day.

Subsequently, another neighbour also knocked on the door, but to no avail. Under the impression that the unresponsive neighbour, Mr Soh, had simply gone to the hospital, they thought nothing of it.

Two days after, however, a foul smell began to emanate from Mr Soh’s flat.

The 82-year-old was found dead in his one-room flat.

Apparently, he had been dead for at least two days before the police intervened.

5. Body Found Almost Two Years Later

In 2019, a resident at The Shore Residences, a condo located near Katong Shopping Centre, noticed that Madam Lily Loh was no longer seen on the premises.

A “weird smell” also emanated from the latter’s flat sometime in February 2019, though it dissipated later on.

Mail also started to pile up in front of Madam Loh’s door.

Many, many months later, the issue was relayed to the MP for Mountbatten, who informed the police.

The bodies of a human and a dog were subsequently found in the flat.

Apparently, on 23 Nov 2020, the condo management had called the police.

It wasn’t known, however, why they had not taken action earlier about the disappearance of Mdm Loh.

83,000 Seniors Will be Living Alone By 2030

Tens of thousands of seniors already live alone, but this number is expected to increase.

It is estimated that by 2030, 83,000 elderly residents aged 65 and above will be living alone. In 2016, this number was just 47,000.

Since they don’t have much contact with others, they are at a higher risk of developing depression.

So, if you happen to have an elderly neighbour who lives by themselves, why not check up on them and have a chat every once in a while?

It may not mean much to you, but it put a smile on their face and end up making their day.

Plus, with social media around, there are many ways to stay connected with our friends and family, wherever they are.

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Feature Image: Dr David Sing / Shutterstock.com

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Zhi Hao
Email: [email protected]