AN ELDERLY woman's body was found in her flat at Charles Brady Court, east Hull, more than a month after she is believed to have died.
The lonely death has triggered concerns over the isolated lifestyles of elderly people.
The woman, who has not been identified, was found dead in her flat at a complex in Diadem Grove, east Hull, earlier this month.
She lived alone in a flat in the complex, which is run by Hull City Council.
Although wardens visit the complex, they do not check on elderly residents daily.
The death is not being treated as suspicious but it is believed she had been dead for up to six weeks before being discovered. Another resident, who asked not to be named, said: "This has come as such a shock.
"I didn't really know the lady very well because she only moved in here a few months ago.
"It's such an awful thing to think about happening so close to where you live.
"The lady who lives next door to her is very upset about it. She is talking about moving out because she can't bear the thought of it.
"We used to have a live-in warden here but that has all changed.
"Now the warden only comes here twice a week."
A notice posted in the window of the main entrance to the flats lists the wardens' duty hours as 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Councillor John Hewitt, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and communities, is also the local Longhill ward councillor for the Diadem Grove area.
He said: "I have heard about what happened and it is very sad.
"I have asked our officers to investigate the circumstances surrounding this lady's death to see if anything more could have been done."
He said each flat in the complex was fitted with a lifeline device for residents to use in cases of emergency.
"Until I receive a reply from our officers, I can't really comment further," he said.
Laura Carr, the council's neighbourhood and housing manager, said: "The lady was found by a council officer on August 7.
"The circumstances of her death will not be known until an inquest is carried out by the corner in December.
"We would always encourage family members and neighbours to look out for the elderly as much as possible."
The council-run housing development provides 37 flats for elderly people.
Named after the late former Humberside councillor Charles Brady, it was opened in 1993 after the city council spent £1.3m on converting a block of maisonettes.
At the time, it was the first sheltered housing scheme of its kind on the city's Bilton Grange estate.
In addition to their flats, residents also share a communal kitchen and lounge facilities at the complex.
In a recent research report, the charity Age UK said about 3.5 million elderly people face life alone without any help or friendship from their neighbours.
It warned that loneliness effects physical health and can be as damaging as smoking or obesity to an older person.
The charity's findings from a survey of 1,000 over-65s revealed more than half of all older people see the television as their main form of company.
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