During my single days and days of medical education and residency training when I lived by myself in an apartment, I would wonder sometimes if I died, just how long it would take before someone would notice. No one seemed to think it unusual that mail was piling up outside the door of a tenant in an Austrian apartment...for years.

Discovering and Estimating the Death
Apparently, it took three to four years before a landlord in Vienna, Austria discovered that one of his tenants had died. The discovery was made when notices about an increase in rent went unanswered. The landlord unlocked the door and discovered the reclusive 93-year-old former university professor had died...years ago. His mummified body was found in his bed.

Police are estimating the time of death as three to four years ago. Old Austrian schilling banknotes were found in the room, but no Euros. Austria switched to the Euro January 1, 2002, so the former professor had been dead since prior to January 2002.

Why Not to Use Automatic Payments - Four Years of Extra Rent
This case may be a strong reason why not to get bills paid automatically. In this case, the deceased professor's rent was paid automatically from his bank account, which was automatically replenished by payments from his pension fund. Thanks to all of the automatic deposits and payments the Austrian landlord continued to collected rent for years after the professor had died.

In my old single days, since my accounts were not automatically linked, it would have taken a much shorter time to discover that I had died. I also figure that it would have been more likely that my neighbors in California would have noticed the smell from a decaying body...particularly during the years I lived in the hot central valley. If not, my death might have been eventually discovered most quickly I suddenly didn't show up for a scheduled shift or shifts during medical residency training, by a curious program director or angry fellow residents.

Protecting Elderly Parents
This case brings up several things for people who have elderly parents to consider, to ensure that they are being watched. Two different options are good ways to start in adding a level of safety and helping watch over elderly or aging parents.

• A Buddy SystemA buddy can be a trusted friend, family member, neighbor, volunteer, caregiver, landlord or trained individual that can be depend on for assistance. With a buddy system someone makes a daily telephone call or home check to the elderly person's home to make sure everything is alright.
• A Telephone Reassurance Program A telephone reassurance program is a commercial service offered to seniors that makes daily telephone calls to the elderly person's home to ensure they are fine. Some communities have a no cost telephone reassurance service available. Good places to check are the local Meals on Wheels, Hospital or American Red Cross.
• Medical Alarm System - Some of the various different names for these paid programs include Senior Alert System, Senior Medical Alarms and Senior Safety Help Button. Medical alarm systems provide a direct link, within easy reach, to trained medical personnel.

If the professor had a buddy watching him or a Medical Alarm system in place, it would not have taken 4 years to discover his death.

More Information on Senior Safety

• Buddy Systems and Telephone Reassurance Programs - From About's Guide to Lung Disease, Stacey Lloyd
• Review of Medical Alarm Systems - From About's Guide to Lung Disease, Stacey Lloyd
• Community-Based Services - From Medicare.gov. Includes information on many of the services offered to seniors that are covered as part of their medicare benefit.
• Handbook for Long-Distance Caregivers - From the Family Care Alliance a helpful booklet
• Elderly Parent Safety - From About's Guide to Lung Disease, Stacey Lloyd

_{Image: Christophe Libert. Waste Paper. Royalty Free Use.}