In France, the problem of elderly people's deaths occurring in their homes, unnoticed by anyone, reflects the loneliness experienced by those who reach old age. In 2024, more than 30 elderly people were found dead in their homes in France, a week or even years after their death, according to the "Younger Brothers of the Elderly" association, published yesterday, which is the Day of Loneliness.
The association attributed these deaths based on various news reports published in regional newspapers. It called this figure "smaller than in reality," and urged French authorities to create a "observatory for elderly deaths" to monitor such cases and develop more effective solutions to the severe problem of loneliness.
A representative of the "MonaLisa" association (National Mobilization Against the Isolation of the Elderly) Boris Kalin confirmed that the number of elderly people dying alone without anyone, "significantly exceeds" official data. He stated: "There are elderly people who die in total isolation because no one pays attention to their bodies."
Usually, it is neighbors who inform the mayor or police about the death, reporting various signs, including unopened letters in the mailbox, prolonged time with closed windows or shutters, or worse, a disagreeable smell. Around 530,000 elderly people in France are living in a state of "social death."
