It’s sad whenever a person passes away. There’s no two ways about it.

In many cases – except in tragic situations such as car wrecks, plane crashes or other horrific deaths – people are surrounded by loved ones at the moment of death. That has to really mean a lot to someone who is about to leave this life.

But sadly, some people have lost all of their siblings and other loved ones and don’t have anyone to check on them when they’re older or are in poor health.

The late Gwendolyn Johnson and several others in this area have passed away and their bodies have remained inside their homes for weeks – in Johnson’s case, about five months – and no one noticed or took the time to check on them.

None of Johnson’s neighbors on Penns Chapel Road noticed that her two vehicles sat unmoved for months. No one noticed when Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corp. placed a bright orange tag on her front door June 24 notifying her that her electricity had been cut off.

This is very unfortunate.

Finally, Johnson’s body was found after her mail had piled up for months and a neighbor called the sheriff’s office Aug. 14 for someone to check on her welfare. Her remains were found in her bed. She was 60 years old.

This is an extremely sad story and an example of how people need to be alert and check on their neighbors when they don’t see them for an extended period of time.

Most people would think that in an age of cellphones and social media that death’s like Johnson’s would be rare, but unfortunately they’re not. So far in 2016, five people in Warren County died inside their homes and no one noticed for days, weeks or months.

Warren County Coroner Kevin Kirby said that as the area’s population grows, deaths that go unnoticed are becoming more common.

Kirby is right when he urges neighbors to watch out for one another. He said that if a car hasn’t moved, just go check on the owner, just as hopefully someone will check on you if your car hasn’t moved.

If a neighbor notices anything that looks out of place or has a sense that something might be wrong with a neighbor, even if they don’t know them, we urge them to please check on them to see if they are OK.

We understand that some neighbors don’t want to be personally involved, and in those cases there are other ways to help.

Community Action of Southern Kentucky operates a courtesy call service, Telephone Reassurance, for the elderly. A person can call and sign up for the service or a relative or friend can call and set it up for someone else. A volunteer will call them daly or at regular, agreed-upon intervals. If the caller is unable to reach that person, a Community Action volunteer will call either that person’s emergency contact or a police agency and request a welfare check.

The service is available for free to anyone 60 or older living in the 10-county Barren River region. Currently, about 50 people are enrolled in the program. Anyone interested may call 270-782-3162 to set it up for themselves or a loved one or friend.

We are hopeful that people will call and sign up for this most valuable service, because no one’s death should ever go unnoticed.