Hospital worker was shocked by an elderly woman’s trash-filled home, more than 200 cockroaches were discovered

SINGAPORE: A 70-year-old woman was hit and injured by a student riding a bicycle while crossing the road at a junction near her home and had not been home for several days.

When a social worker accompanied her to her house, the worker was shocked to discover that she lived in a garbage room and contacted a volunteer organisation to help with the cleanup. 

Furthermore, a kind neighbour also called the police, stating that her house emanated a foul smell, and was concerned about the well-being of the elderly. 

The founder of the volunteer organisation confirmed that a health worker contacted him, hoping that they could help clean the woman’s home. The founder stated, “I’ve had hospital social workers contact me before, but this time the elderly woman’s home condition was so bad that we couldn’t let her go home.” 

In a report by Shin Min Daily News, photos showed that the garbage inside the woman’s home almost reached the ceiling, and it had large quantities of plastic bags, paper bags, and cardboard boxes. It was revealed that the elderly woman placed a bamboo pole in the living room to hang clothes directly on the garbage pile, and she sleeps on a folding mattress in a corner. 

More than 50 benevolent members from a volunteer organisation helped with the initiative, and during the process, many cockroaches appeared and flew around the unit from all directions. When interviewed, the founder declared that there were more than 200 cockroaches.  

“Some cockroaches even flew into the neighbour’s house, and the neighbour immediately closed the window when he saw it,” the founder stated. 

Moreover, the Town Council arranged about 10 trash cans, and the volunteers worked together to move suitcases, plastic boxes, and appliances out of the house. 

In similar news, there was a report where an elderly man, who is more than 80 years old, has been living in his garbage home without water and electricity for over 10 years. 

A volunteer organisation shared the situation of the elderly man online, who had been living in a one-room rental HDB flat at North Bridge Road. 

Read more about the story here.