Dead for a year in front of TV !

That is so sad, thinking that no one checked on this poor guy for an entire year :( Yes, we do need to keep an eye out for our elderly. Stories like this just go to prove that moral more strongly than ever. I understand why his neighbors just thought that he had been put in a nursing home, but I'm a little surprised that they didn't get any more curious than that any sooner. I wonder how come he was found at all? I would have thought, actually, that he would've been found a lot sooner.. I mean, no one could've been paying his bills, right? Wouldn't creditors have been coming around? And how could his TV still be blaring after a year, lol? That seems most strange.

I saw that on the news last night. They say the air in the house is what mummified him. Poor guy. And the tv was still on.

Hearing something like this is just so sad. I hate to think of anyone who has absolutely nobody to check up on them as they get older. You're right, we do all need to be more aware of the habits of our elderly neighbors so that we can notice when something is just "not right" and maybe get them help if they need it. My elderly neighbor next door has a pretty set schedule- his lights go off and he is in bed by 10 pm every night. If I noticed lights on at midnight, I would be concerned. If they were on the next morning, I would definitely call or go over to check on him. The fact that the electric and gas companies let his utility payments go is unbelievable. Here, they would have shut them off for non-payment. This is really a sad thing to read about, and I hope that it serves to remind every one to check up on our neighbors, as you suggested.

Ohhh this is pathetic. He does not have any one in this world to check him in this long period of time. I am afraid to think now what will happen to me when I would go through old age. We should always keep track of our neighbors or any related old person whom we know and able to check.

This is really weird. Why hadnt they turned off his power and cable for nonpayment? Also it is weird that the power had never flickered even once in all that time because when the power flickers off, the TV will go off till you turn it back on. This is truely a weird incident. Yes, we need to always check on the elderly. I keep encouraging people to do just that.We do check on our elderly neighbors on a regular basis. This just breaks my heart to think that nobody cared enough to check on him for an entire year.

That poor guy, you would think someone would have missed him before then, not have to investigate because of a broken water pipe. I can't believe the electricity was still on, if I hadn't paid my bill by then it would surely have been switched off. I feel sorry for the poor people that found him as well, that must have been a huge shock.

That's really quite a story. What a shame his neighbors didn't check to make sure about him, to assume something like that is not always the best tack. It's amazing that the mailman didn't ask the police to check on him, after all, his mail had to be piling up somewhere, and a whole years worth of mail has to be a lot! I try and keep and eye on my elderly neighbors, not just to make sure that they've been seen outside, etc, but to make sure nobody is messing with them or their property. I hope a lot of people who read that at CNN wake up and realize how vulnerable the older generation is and keep tabs on them (without being just nosy.)

that is really sad,that poor old man...it is hard to believe that nobody,found him..or checked on him..for so long..and the electricity was still on..that is the strangest thing of all...I remember,I didn't pay my bill for a month..and the electricity company,wanted to shut me off....that is really weird.

I read about this on AOL, awful that no one checked for a year.. now my mother has just noted that the car at the neighbours house hasnt moved since the last big snow storm,hehh...*gets up the nerve to go knock*

Yeah I'm with the otehr people. How did his bills go for a year and no one called or looked for him? What about his yard, or if there is snow? Wouldn't someone start to wonder when the grass got to be three foot tall? It is sad that no one even went looking for him.

Wow..thats crazy. Very sad that he had no one in his life that kept an eye out for him. Your absolutly right about keeping an eye out for our elderly neighbors, you never know if something is wrong. Whats the worst that can happen, you suspect something, go check only to find out that everything is ok.

That is so terrible :( How awful that not one person noticed he was gone. I mean we all think that more people would check on us if we were missing but I guess now we know how many really would. So many people have automatic bill pay. He could have had that and his electric, phone and stuff would still work.

Wow...that's horrible. I'd hate to think that when I am older that I'd have no-one notice that I was gone for a year. I mean, where are his friends and family? On a grosser note, you would have thought that there would have been a pretty awful smell coming from that house for a while...no-one even noticed that?

wow, did the man have no family? that is very sad that it took a year for people to notice that he wasn't around! Not much suprises me anymore, but the uncaring nature of his neighbours does. But alas, this is the day we live in. How many of us really know/care (about) our neighbours!??!

It's really tragic that this happens and it's suprising how many incidents occur! If I had an elderly neighbour who I hadn't seen in a while, then I would go and at least knock at his door - surely the neighbours would have heard his tv blaring then and without getting a response they could have alerted someone? It's really sad and makes you also wonder if he had any family how on earth did they not notice??

ofcourse...we should pay attention those who are staying near by. because most of our elderly parents are staying alone due to some or the other problem,neighbours should keep an eye on our elders.

My gosh, what a sad way to die, and no one noticed him gone for a year? Some people really just stick to their own business not minding the people around them. Makes us think hard and apprecaite other especially our neighbors and to look out for each other.

I pitied the elderly man, I owuld like to share abut my cul;ture and attitude here in my country Philippines. We people here takes care of our elderly and we dont put them in the home for the aged house, we personally, a family memeber or a paid service to watch for our elderly, that is how we take care of our people, and how close our family ties is. Like us, they also need care, love and attention that we should be able to give back to them what they have done for us, who played a great role in our lvies. We should not neglect them.

My friend has just told me about this story and I just felt sick to think more than a year passed before this poor soul was discovered. Do you realize how sad this is that absolutely NO ONE missed him ? As far as bills not being paid, there is a chance his bills were deducted directly from his bank account and same goes for his pension cheques. I'm more disturbed to think nobody loved this man enough to go looking for his whereabouts. I am confused re: his mail, it must have backed up in one of two places the house or the post office. We need to be grateful we have people loving us !!!

I totally agree with you!!! I think that as a people we should keep up with our elderly. A lot of time families abandon them and if they dont want to move to home they shouldnt b forced to. I think we need to be closer as a neighborhood. It is a shame that this had to happen. Maybe it will open peoples eyes.