Missing Seniors and Pensions

In Japan, 230 000 seniors are missing:

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/world-news/230000-japan-centenarians-missing-2333479.html

It was noticed a man, supposedly celebrating his 111th birthday, was actually a mummy when government officials popped around to celebrate the big day. Estimates were the man had been dead for 30 years. The whole time, his pension had been deposited into his account and someone had accessed it. I wonder if this means the state should look in on people as they age because family, obviously, may not be doing it. I wonder about those obligations. I wonder how I would feel if the state periodically checked up on my care of the matriarch, if I would feel weird about it.

I probably wouldn't mind if people came to see if the matriarch was still alive--she'd, at least, have visitors. One of things of having a senior living with you is the reality of neighbourhood participation; my neighbours all know she is here and look out for her when I take her out, the children next door kind of stare when she steps down the porch steps, the people across the street wave at her in the car. These are good things, I think. I probably wouldn't get a way with keeping her here as a mummy. But that event does bring home the idea that seniors do much better with community. I wish they weren't hidden away so much. I am really beginning to feel that push to do something because what I do do as a mother and caretaker is so under-valued and can be so easily replaced by institutional care. It seems society prefers that method. It strikes me as undervaluing the individual in the name of group management. Or, maybe, it is being able to hold people to a financial reckoning because we live in a world where accounting is more important than personal care. I don't know.

For one, I have no power attorney over the matriarch's funds; her money is her money. Secondly, whatever the matriarch has saved will be used to bury her; if there is anything leftover, she has left it to the children. Thirdly, if I was in this for the money, I wouldn't be in it. Japanese seniors, in the country that is supposed to set the standard for senior care, are missing; it doesn't say much for accounting or for individual care.