Neighbours of 91-year-old Joyce Saunders say repeated attempts to offer assistance to her family were unsuccessful, as her elderly daughter often met their efforts with hostility.
The elder Saunders’ decomposing body was found at her Cherry Tree Circle, Santa Rosa Heights, Arima home on Wednesday morning, when an inspector with the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services visited with police.
Officers forcefully broke into the home, where they found Saunders’ body. Her 63-year-old daughter, who police said suffered with a mental condition, ran into another room on hearing the commotion. Officers eventually subdued the woman and later sent her for a medical evaluation.
Police suspect Saunders’ daughter may have been living alongside her mother’s decomposing body for days before the discovery was made.
When the story of the incident emerged on social media, several people questioned how Saunders’ death could have gone unnoticed for so long and chided neighbours for not taking a more active interest in looking out for her.
When Guardian Media visited the neighbourhood yesterday, a neighbour said she had not seen the elder Saunders for over two years, while her daughter was only seen when she went outside to collect fast food ordered.
The neighbour, who asked not to be named, also noted that her family had made several efforts to help or check in with the elder Saunders, but they were usually met with stiff resistance from her daughter. She said it was also difficult to make contact with the family, as they were seldom seen outside.
“The mother used to have a really, really bad cough and my dad was like ‘Ms Saunders are you okay? Let me know if you need me to take you to the doctor or anything... nothing,” she said.
“My dad used to talk to the daughter and say, ‘Well, if you need any help, let us know in case of emergency’ but she used to just tell us to leave them alone or ‘mind your business’ and this that and the third, so we just stopped.
“It’s months upon months they wouldn’t come outside. She (the daughter) never used to bring out the mother, she never used to go out. Nothing.”
The neighbour also said she remembered a foul stench earlier this week, adding that while she was not suspicious at first, she found it strange that the scent lingered for a period of time, which eventually led to the authorities being contacted.
“The following day, I went back outside and I smelled the same thing. I told my dad and he was washing down the side and he said he was getting the same scent for weeks,” she said.
“They don’t throw out garbage, they don’t open up the place or anything like that so we didn’t know what was going on and she (the daughter) didn’t respond when we called her.”
Another neighbour said he was saddened by the incident, adding Saunders and her daughter were life-long residents of Cherry Tree Circle. He remembered seeing them occasionally walking on the street when he was younger, but noted their outdoor appearances had gradually become fewer in recent times.
“It’s disturbing because they had the daughter there looking after the mother and the daughter wasn’t mentally well. It was sad that she ended up dying in that manner,” he said.
“I can’t remember seeing any family going there and visiting them, I think they only had each other.”
However, other residents were completely unaware of Saunders’ death, noting that they rarely communicated with others and generally “kept to themselves.”
When contacted for comment, head of the Northern Division, Snr Supt Sherma Maynard-Wilson, said there was need for stronger relations within communities, as she urged people to remain in contact with their neighbours and, when necessary, check in on them.
She said such ties were necessary to build resilience at a community level and offer assistance in case of emergencies.
But when asked what should be done when people felt someone’s well-being was in danger but they were being blocked from rendering assistance by another relative, Maynard-Wilson said the police should be involved.
“The police is only a phone call away and there are other authorities who can be able to assist. There is always the regional health authority that is open to work with the community to provide assistance to people, especially with mental health support, so reach out to the police and these officials.”
However, she stressed that such interventions begin only when communities and their residents remain vigilant about what is happening in their neighbourhoods.
