Mrs. Chen is 82 and lives alone. Every morning, she waves at me when I walk my dog. She’s never missed a day in the three years I’ve known her. So when I noticed her newspapers stacking up on Tuesday, then Wednesday, then Thursday, I got worried. Her blinds were closed. No lights at night. Her car hadn’t moved.
I knocked Friday morning. No answer. I posted on the local app asking if anyone had heard from her. A neighbor said her son lives in Denver. Another found his number through the church directory. Turns out Mrs. Chen had fallen in her bathroom Monday night. She couldn’t reach her phone but managed to hit her medical alert button. She’d been in the hospital all week. Her son was relieved we noticed. She’s recovering now. But what if no one had been paying attention?…