If you died in your home, how long until someone would find you?

1. 94

   peeplesposted 10 years ago

   If you died in your home, how long until someone would find you?
   
   (weird I know). This morning I was thinking if it wasn't for my husband and children, if I died in my home it would probably be months before I was discovered. Then I got on Facebook and saw a story of a woman who died and wasn't found for a year even though her daughter lived in another apartment in the home on another story (floor) of the house. So realistically how long would it take for someone to find you, and are there things we can do so that there is a plan in place if we are not heard from in a certain amount of time?

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   Awesome Harryposted 10 years ago

   Really nice and thoughtful question. Nothing weird about it at all. Some years ago I had the same concern. But then I realized that there are at least 10 people with whom I stay in touch daily and who get really nervous when do not hear from me at once. Plus, there are my colleagues who almost daily get a feedback from me. So, if I suddenly die home, I am sure within 24 hours my body will be found.

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Good to know you won't be left for a year!

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   LongTimeMotherposted 10 years ago

   I can't imagine how a full year would pass without a daughter being unaware her mother was dead ... particularly if they lived in the same building! What about birthdays and Christmas and Mother's Day? And just popping in to share some nice food or good news? Wow. That's sad!
   
   Like you, I am fortunate to have a family who would notice my dead body lying somewhere in the house - and they'd look for me if I'd dropped dead somewhere else as well. 
   
   Without my family I could probably stay undiscovered for years in my lovely off-grid home. It's not like the power company would come to disconnect the electricity for non-payment of a bill and wonder what the smell was. lol.

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You may have just discovered one of the very few bad sides to being off the grid! Thankfully you have your family around!

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      LongTimeMotherposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The peace and quiet while I was alive would have been worth it.

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   simonlivingstonposted 10 years ago

   Probably instantly, as there are numerous individuals in my household.

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      If you didn't have them though are there people outside of your home that would check on you?

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   fpherj48posted 10 years ago

   peeples......LOL!  About 15 minutes, even though I live alone.  I have my youngest son who lives just down the road and he thinks my back door is the revolving Entrance/Exit at O'Hare Airport.  Some days I think I'm still sleeping and having a nightmare!   "OH!!  Hi honey.....How NICE to see you......................................for the 3rd time ....in the past 2 hours.....how can I help you??"
   That story you shared sounds a bit crazy to me....Like, maybe this daughter KNEW Mama wouldn't be answering the door????   I'm just a little suspicious about that tale!!   

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Lol! Well at least the positive to the revolving door is someone to find your dead body!! Haha! Hopefully no time soon!

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   Austinstarposted 10 years ago

   If Bob and I both dropped dead, no one would find us for quite a while! The cats would have to eat us for sustenance, LOL. I'm thinking of getting a LifeAlert thingy to wear around my neck, or on a bracelet. I tell Bob to carry his phone when he goes out into the yard, because I rarely go outside and couldn't help him if he did have a heart attack.
   Only recently have I started having a relationship with my niece and told her to check on us once a month or so and I would put her in the will!

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      This was actually my thought. If my husband and I both died at the same time (carbon monoxide or something) we have no one outside the home that would look for us.
      Bribery of the niece? Lol good back up plan!

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      LoisRyan13903posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Life Alert is an excellent idea.  My mother who is 92 has one

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   OldRosesposted 10 years ago

   Sadly, it would probably be my employer who would miss me immediately.  My boss is pretty good about if an employee doesn't show up and doesn't call or email, trying to contact that employee to make sure that s/he is okay.  I don't have any family and my closest friend would probably not get concerned for a couple of days.  I suffer from clinical depression so she knows that sometimes I "disappear" for a day or two.  Any longer than that and she does call/email to make sure that I'm okay.

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      That is great that your boss would check on you.  Certainly better than being left for a year.

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   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   If only one of us died the other would discover it by the end of the day. However if both me and my wife died it may be a few days or up to a couple of weeks before someone might suspect there is something wrong enough to warrant having the police or fireman break down the door,
   On the bright side if we're dead it really won't matter to us!
   Seriously; funerals are events for (the living) to publically morn or celebrate the lives of those who have moved on. Whether it's a day or a year the deceased person could care less.

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Great point, but the alive me wants the dead me to be found before the rotting begins!! I'm sure, of course, the dead me won't mind stinking the place up.

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   LoisRyan13903posted 10 years ago

   Depending on the time of day.  My husband or daughter would try to wake me up at 8:30 at night to tell me I had to get up to go to work.  If I was alone  it may be a little longer.  Maybe my supervisor would try to get a hold of me if I didn't show up and with my reputation at work by showing up ahead of time, I think by day two he would call or even send the police.  Maybe the daughter in that story was scared when she didn't hear from her mother and didn't want to know

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Very possible, but the story says the daughter continued to cash checks that came in the mail. So now it's looking like she was leaving her there to collect money.

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      LoisRyan13903posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I didn't read the story so I think I am wrong, oh I know I am wrong.  I heard something about a very overweight man who became fused to his chair and his girlfriend did nothing but feed him for several years until he passed away.

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      peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Oh my, that is just as bad!

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      TheBizWhizposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Wow! How does one become fused to a chair? Now that gives new meaning to a couch potato! lol

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      LoisRyan13903posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Probably not getting up to use bathroom and probably sores on the butt  Google fat man fused to chair.  Or maybe just too big.  It went on for 2 years

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    Joyfulcrownposted 10 years ago

    OMG.  That's horrible.  I can't believe the daughter didn't notice or visit her mom.  I think someone would notice within no more than 8 hours.

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       peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       I read more on it. Daughter might have known the whole time and just not reported.

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    B. Leekleyposted 10 years ago

    My wife would find me within hours at the most. If the same goblins got us both, we could be dead for days before a relation got worried. A neighbor said he recently went to his brother's funeral; the brother died of diabetes and wasn't found for days.

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       peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Glad you won't be left for years!

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    liesl5858posted 10 years ago

    This question of yours Peeples make me wonder actually what happens if I die. There is only me and my husband to look after each other. I suppose if I die, my husband will find me and same with him if he dies, I will find him. But for those people who live alone, I do feel for them because if no relations come and visit them, then they won't know that there is a dead person there. It is a sad situation really when you got no one else in life. My family(parents, brothers and sister all live in the Philippines). But if my husband and I both die together, we have a good neighbour next door to us who will report to the police that she has not seen us go out from our home which is right next door to her house.

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       peeplesposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       At least your neighbor would care enough to check in on y'all.

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    TheBizWhizposted 10 years ago

    Even though we just moved to a town where our nearest relative is 2 hours away, I think it might be half a day before we are found, maybe 2 days at the most depending on the day of week it happens.
    
    We both have jobs and the kids are in school and we are somewhat active with the neighbors. We also speak to family everyday, so I hope they would worry if they don't hear from us for two days.
    
    I also find it odd about the daughter not finding her mother for a year. Sounds a bit shady to me.

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