Another friend gone

[kathleen_dailey]

Yesterday I learned that our downstairs neighbour L. was found dead in his apartment on Monday. He was a casual pal of my spouse; they both liked talking about tech stuff and renos and tools and whatnot. They had been planning to go out for lunch as soon as the weather moderated a bit.

L. was alone when he died. His friend, who had a dinner date with him, couldn't reach him, so he asked our concierge to open L.'s door and check on him. That was when he was found. The EMT said that he'd been dead for at least a day and possibly longer. He fell, according to the EMT, and couldn't reach his phone or tablet--if he was even conscious. L. had been adamant that he didn't need a Life Alert pendant with a fall detector, and of course he didn't until he did.

I've been nagging my friend F., who is old and lives alone with her two cats, to get a Life Alert or equivalent, since she has no relatives in Toronto and no friends in her building or nearby. But denial is a powerful life force in humans, and she (like L.) is adamant that she doesn't need one--even though she's beginning to exhibit cognitive decline, has had dizzy spells recently, and has had to call 911 a couple of times. If it weren't for the cats, I'd say, "Fine, people can do what they want, she's over 21 and still able to make her own decisions," and I'd STFU. But I worry about the helpless, blameless animals, and therefore will keep nagging (in as kind and gentle a way as possible). I don't expect it to have any effect.