“... there was simply no one to check on him ...”
For many people, there are options between family (who may be in a distant location) and government (which doesn’t really care). Our church has a visitation list of elderly members and nonmember “friends of the church” who live alone. Everyone on the list is contacted every day, either by phone or in person.
You said — “Our church has a visitation list of elderly members and nonmember “friends of the church” who live alone. Everyone on the list is contacted every day, either by phone or in person.”
Now, that’s a real and viable option and that is exactly where it should have been handled, in the first place, for this guy — and *not* the utility company (as others are trying to say...).