The recent death of an elderly Warren County man, apparently caused by neglect and lack of services, highlights the dangers faced by older residents with no one to look after them.

   The handicapped Howard Thomas, 87, of Oakland was found Oct. 8 in his trailer, with cuts on his legs and maggots inside the open wounds. He died a few days later in the hospital.

   Warren County Sheriff’s Department Detective James “BB” Davis, who is investigating Thomas’ death, said the tragedy was avoidable, and while his death will likely be deemed due to natural causes, extreme malnourishment and dehydration were definitely contributing factors.

   “The first thing he said to me was that he was hungry,” Davis said.

   The man had been living alone and didn’t have a phone, Davis said, and there was absolutely no food in his house - the conditions of which were deplorable.

   “There’s been several cases I’ve had where dead people were being eaten by maggots,” Davis said. “But this is the first time I’ve every seen a live person being eaten by maggots.”

   Thomas’ daughter had complained to the sheriff’s department about her father’s care, Davis said, claiming her brother wouldn’t tell her where her father was living.

   “In this case, it isn’t clear who if anyone was responsible for checking on the man and ensuring that he had proper care,” Davis said.

   Meanwhile, there are a lot of older people in the region who aren’t aware of what services are available to them, he said, and people don’t check on their neighbors the way they did in the past.

   “It used to be, if you didn’t see your neighbor for a couple of days, you would go and check on them,” Davis said. “People don’t do things like that anymore.”

   In many cases, older adults have simply neglected to enlist anyone to help with their care, said Lisa Wallace, spokeswoman for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. And while Warren County has a comprehensive list of services available for the elderly, many don’t know such options are available.

   Services in Warren County include adult day health care, assessment and case management; education, escorts, friendly visiting and health promotion; home management and personal care, home repair, in-home respite, legal assistance and meals; senior community service employment programs and free transportation, according to the cabinet’s Web site.

   “In this case, if he had known the available services, he might have been able to get some help,” Wallace said.

   Yet many seniors are too proud to seek the help that’s available to them, Wallace said. In those instances, a concerned family member or neighbor has to make the requests for help.

   “Elderly care, just like child care, takes the entire community getting involved,” Wallace said.

   These issues are going to be even more important as a larger percentage of the population hits the age of 60, Wallace said. The state’s goal is to learn what services are most needed in each area, then determine a way to effectively offer those services.

   Anyone who sees an elderly person being harmed, either through self-neglect or the abuse of someone else, can contact Adult Protective Services and report the incident, said Debbie McCarty, director of aging services for the Barren River Area Development District. Reports can be left anonymously, and the group will investigate any complaint of elderly abuse.

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