Almost 40,000 people died alone in their homes in Japan during the first half of 2024, a report by the country’s police shows.
Of that number, nearly 4,000 people were discovered more than a month after they died, and 130 bodies went unmissed for a year before they were found, according to the National Police Agency.
Japan currently has the world’s oldest population, according to the United Nations.
The agency hopes its report will shed light on the country’s growing issue of vast numbers of its aging population who live, and die, alone.
Taken from the first half of 2024, the National Police Agency data shows that a total of 37,227 people living alone were found dead at home, with those aged 65 and over accounting for more than 70%.
Because it means that they had no one checking up on (or helping) them. It means that they may not have been eating or drinking enough water, or taking their meds as prescribed (if they had dementia). It means they might have fallen and broken their arm or hip, then starved to death.
It means a failure of the social contract that says we care for all people equally no matter their age, and if they need help we will find a way to provide it.
While I get the altruistic impulse to intervene, I do also know that some people want to spend their life alone. Have no desire to have anyone involved in their lives. They’re totally at peace checking out of life by themselves, on their own terms. I do think it’s important to respect their wishes.
Agreed. People should never be forced into LTC homes. They should be offered other options like regular home visits tho, instead of nothing.
A well reasoned reply. With the exception of dementia and presuming they’re of sound mind, aren’t they free to choose to have end-of-life care? Or is such care too expensive, like in the U.S.?
That I do not know. But we see similar stuff happen in Western nations as well, just not as much.
We still treat old people like shit.