Thursday of last week, a neighbour of my eighty four year old Mother's, called upon her asking for assistance. Another neighbour, bed bound and disabled was concerned that her husband hadn't responded to her calls. My Mum, along with the other neighbour wnet over to see if they could help.
They entered what appeared to be a scene from a horror film with lumps growing on the floor, cobwebs spun heavy and hanging from the ceiling. A thick coat of crease was over the kitchen surfaces and the ladies husband lay dead upon the sofa. He was eighty six and alchoholic. He lay with one eye still open as keeping watch from beyond the grave. His hands had been withered by arthritis which may have been the reason that the house was in such a mess. Even the bath had cobwebs trailing.
Ironically my Mother, a salvationist, each and every year would call upon the couple giving them a Christams gift from the Sally Army and she and her officers would ask if there was anything they could do to help. The couple always politetly thanked them but always said no.
Unbelieavably sad that even in this day and age, and with a welfare state, two people could so easily fall into such a state of dirt and decay. No one should have to live like that any more.