We will never know the date of the 74-year-old Bolesławiec resident’s death. The death notice gave the date on which the body was found—September 2, 2011. Neighbors stopped seeing him about two and a half months earlier, while his daughter last visited him more than two months ago. The prosecutor confirms that the death may have occurred as early as June of this year.
“The body was mummified,” prosecutor Regina Haniszewska says. “On this basis, and on the basis of the neighbors’ statements, we can conclude that the death occurred about two months ago. It was a natural death.”
The man apparently had no close friends in the building who would check on him every day. Nor did he have any routines that would have stayed in other people’s memories. Piotr Hetel, president of the “Bolesławianka” Housing Cooperative, to which the building on Łukasiewicza Street belongs, saw him riding a bicycle from time to time. He recalls that he stopped seeing the old man in the summer. The holidays were rainy and unpleasant, so the old man may have stayed home more often than he went out. His disappearance went practically unnoticed.
Death in the Heart of the City
We learned about the case from one of our readers, who sent the editorial office an email full of genuine emotion.
“I am contacting you about an issue that deeply outrages me. Namely, how is it possible that in the middle of Europe and in the center of a fairly large city, a man died and no one noticed? What is more, this man lived in an apartment block, and although his body decomposed for several months after his death, no one noticed it, and even less did anyone become concerned about the man’s disappearance.
In the stairwell where he lived, there was an odor of rotting flesh. Residents informed the building administration about the smell. After a chimney sweep’s inspection and a check of the ventilation draft, no irregularities were found, yet the stench remained perceptible.”
The president of the housing cooperative knows nothing about such an intervention by the neighbors. He also believes that any odor would be difficult to locate and identify in a building like the one on Łukasiewicza Street, because the apartments are connected by external balconies rather than typical stairwells.
“In addition, we now have laws under which people are not required to register their residence with us,” says Piotr Hetel. “We do not know when people leave to stay with their families, or whether they leave their apartments for a longer period at all. I believe the city could use an efficient system for caring for elderly people who live alone. Some cooperation between housing cooperatives, MOPS and the Municipal Police,” Hetel adds.
Day Care Center
A care system for older people exists and operates in Bolesławiec. But not everyone wants to use it. Ninety-four seniors take part in daily activities at the Day Care Center (DDzP). They listened attentively as we told them the story of the deceased 74-year-old. They are much older than he was, especially the women. Here, ninety-year-old women call a seventy-year-old man a “young whippersnapper.” “Where was his daughter for two months?” someone asks. But they quickly abandon that line of thought, because they too live alone, and sometimes their children are far away, often abroad.
After a moment of silence, they begin asking questions and reflecting. “Why didn’t he come to our center?” asks Karolina Gołębiowska-Wrzałko, who has been coming to the DDzP the longest, since the early 1990s. “Why don’t people come here? Maybe more information is needed; perhaps too few people know that they can meet here, be together, and feel respected and safe. Everyone is welcome.”
Other seniors gather in the bright common room, sitting down smiling and eager to talk. They have set aside time for a chat before lunch. The daily schedule here is carefully planned and does not change. They wonder why old age is now associated with loneliness, a lack of respect, and a deep sense of being a burden to the young.
A Cheerful Old Age Does Not Want to Be a Burden
The seniors from the DDzP themselves initiated the construction of a residential care home. Karolina Gołębiowska-Wrzałko speaks with great warmth about her first visit to President Roman concerning the construction of such a home.
“He received us and treated us seriously,” the senior says gratefully. “He said it was an important matter, and he did not let us down.”
Everyone agrees with her; they even wrote a song in honor of the president. They follow the progress of the work and will tour the building. They choose rooms for themselves—upstairs, on the ground floor, with a balcony or an attractive view.
“They need respect and attention. Having their needs noticed is most important to them,” says facility manager Danuta Zamaro. “Above all, they do not want to be a burden to anyone.”
The seniors confirm her words. They say that families used to be multigenerational, and a grandfather or grandmother had an inheritance. Older people were respected. “Now Grandma’s pension is welcome, but Grandma herself is rejected,” says Cecylia Maryniak. Most people nod sadly. But the sadness passes. Appetizing smells drift in from the dining room, so the seniors say goodbye and go to lunch. Their world moves slowly and precisely, according to an established order. Death is already a settled matter in it and has its own inalienable place.
(information: Grażyna Hanaf)