This topic hits close to home.
A neighbor, age 52, in the process of a divorce, living alone with no pets or interaction with others, was discovered dead in his home this past month. According to the investigator who interviewed neighbors to piece together a timeline (I was little help), the resident had passed prior to Christmas. Apparent natural causes but impossible to determine specifics due to the circumstances. A concerned but estranged relative discovered him after a wellness check 6 weeks after the date of his estimated passing. Horrible situation. The next week or so was dedicated to removing pretty much everything including drywall and carpet from the interior of the house. I came to find out that there are custom services that exist for this very situation. A sad reality, indeed.
The subdivision is a mixture of rental houses and long-term residents, where everyone respects privacy and is cordial and friendly, but not in a “borrow a cup of sugar” way. Especially during long winter months, it's not typical to follow the comings and goings of neighbors, little outside activity or lawn work is being done, overall minimal daily visibility/interaction among residents.
I suspect that as our population ages and many folks have the means and well-deserved freedom to live independently, we might expect this to happen more often. Anyone who lives alone with a sparse social safety net has the potential to meet this sad fate of dying alone, not immediately discovered. And even moreso since families are scattered. It’s a rarity when multiple generations live together under one roof as was common in the old days.
I'm hopeful that with existing electronics and the promise of future technology, nanoscience, artificial intelligence, robotics, sensors, etc. we can expect a futuristic solution to the problem. It’s likely already in the works. Beyond devices that are worn (think FitBit, LifeAlert), even more sophisticated worn or implanted technology can't be far away. To provide much earlier alerts in these cases where any life-threatening changes (medical or biological) can be detected. I’m hopeful.