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My biggest fear about living alone and death is that I will die in my bed overnight, and nobody will know for a time. After a week, my dog Crystal will either die of hunger or be well fed.

Strangely enough, my thoughts about death are somewhat similar to yours. I live alone with half a dozen pet reptiles. If no one found me for a week, my crested gecko would likely starve. My snakes would be okay for about a week as long as their water didn't evaporate. They could go a month or more without food without being too uncomfortable, but they'd need water at least once a week at a minimum.

There's really no one who would come by my house enough to find me if the folks at work didn't raise an alarm. The folks at work would be curious if I didn't come to work and didn't call for a couple of days, but technically, no one in any kind of supervisory role is allowed to check. I'm sure that if I didn't show up for two days, someone would find some excuse to come by my house. The question is what they'd do if no one answered the door and there was no outward sign of a problem.

When I retire, I'm not sure how I'll handle this situation. I'd like to retire someday to a good amount of land so that I don't have people crowding me in my "golden years." I guess I'd try to make contact with someone in some group and get people in the habit of checking on me. I'd hate to think of my animals suffering after I'm gone.

Bill

Great way of putting it Bill. I also agree while we are working I am certain that someone would check on us if we did not appear for a couple of days. After that it is up to us to see that we have friend/neighbours that hold a key and would check if they had not heard from us for a couple of days.

A good way to do that is to have a regular friend or relative that we ring every day or 2 even if that person is miles away. Make sure the person knows who holds a key to your place and in the event of not hearing from you for a couple of days rings that person to come and check.

Over night I thought about what you said about people at work checking on you.

Personally, I would talk frankly with my coworkers and really the supervisor, too, telling them your problem. also, Id see if a neighbor would’t mind calling and saying hi. I do not know your working situation so this suggestion may not work.

I was hospitalized in April with pneumonia, and discovered a single has another problem. Yes, I had some friends including my ex stop bye, and they were a big help, but I had to send one of them to Wal Mart to buy me some BVD’s and slippers, rather than have them look through my house for stuff. I also had them pick me up some sweat pants for poking around the hospital. I had a pocket RX for my eye drops, so I had my neighbor refill them. They had nothing to do with my pneumonia, but I needed them never the less.

SO.... Here is what I have done:
Made up a little awol bag with a couple of changes of BVDs and tee shirts.
Added sweats and slippers.
Added a pair of levis and a shirt so I could leave the hospital with clean clothes. (BTW, My ex washed my shirt and pants so I could get out w/ clean clothes LOL)(she is a nice lady)
Put in there my living will.
Put in there instructions on how to feed Crystal
Made up a telephone list of people to call.
Added $20 in ones and 5’s.

I keep the bag right beside my door, so the instructions on what to grab is simple.

I am open to suggestions as to what else to put in my bag.

Hope this idea helps you and anybody else

.....Bob