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Are we paying attention?
Do we know who lives alone?
There are no easy answers.
Some seniors fiercely guard their autonomy. Others quietly hope someone will check in.
The line between intrusion and care can be delicate.
But indifference is not neutral.
Aging in Modern America
Families are more geographically dispersed. Adult children move for work. Neighborhoods change. Traditional multigenerational living arrangements are less common.
Meanwhile, housing costs rise.
For seniors on fixed incomes, choices can narrow quickly.
Assisted living facilities are expensive. Affordable senior housing often has long waiting lists. Renting an apartment may require deposits and credit checks that become barriers.
In that context, a motel room—weekly payment, minimal paperwork—can feel like the most accessible option.
But accessibility does not equal community.
The Fragility of Visibility
There is something particularly haunting about someone passing away unnoticed for hours—or days.
It reminds us how fragile visibility can be.
Visibility is not just being seen physically.
It is being known.
Being expected somewhere.
Being missed when absent.
The elderly woman in the motel was eventually discovered because someone knocked on her door as part of a job responsibility.
