Elderly feels worried about dying alone - Gisela, 89: "Has no contact with neighbors"

It is not uncommon for elderly people to be isolated from the outside world in the absence of relatives and a social network. Involuntary loneliness is particularly affecting the elderly in larger cities and this can have tragic consequences.

Last Monday, a deceased man was found by police in an apartment on Södermalm. He is believed to have been dead for over three years.

- In this case it is about him being alone, having no children and having all bills on direct debit. Unfortunately, this can go a long way, says Mats Kemi, death officer at the Stockholm Police.

Every year, the Stockholm Police go on about 240 deaths, of which a quarter have been dead for over a month, without anyone missing them.

- It is usually discovered, in these cases when the person has been dead for a long time, through odors in the stairwell or the home service finds them. That's the most common thing, says Mats Kemi.

89-year-old Gisela is one of many elderly people in Stockholm who live alone. She rarely has any contact with the neighbors in the apartment building on Östermalm where she lives.

- I have had no contact with the neighbors in recent years. One would wish that people would be more curious about each other. I would love to know more about the neighbors. Everyone is so very stressed nowadays, Gisela says.

A few years ago, Gisela found the association Elderly contact, which coordinates meetings between elderly people in their neighborhoods with the help of volunteers. They help with pushing, coffee and planning.

- Instead of sitting alone in your apartment and longing for someone to talk to, we help you meet people in the same situation, says Therese Gyll, Head of Operations at Elderly Contact.