I hear you Ratchick, but outside the caring professions, it's hard to do anything. We could all be walking past the front door of someone like that every day on our way to work or the shops, and not know, and unless we start randomly bothering elderly people in the street (which, potential for IMMEDIATE abuse) then it's hard to know who needs help on your own street. My view would be, look after your own family, and any neighbours that'll let you. But more than that is truly difficult, because elderly people are often so defensive or proud (and understandably so) or self-effacing that it's hard to find out what they really do need. And I donate to Help the Aged, because they seem to do good work (informed opinions on that welcome?) The gulf between the fit young people who call an ambulance for a broken toe, and the frail elderly ones who will die of the cold because they don't want to claim any help, is further proof that the human race have not developed our intellect as far as we like to think. We're all just lemmings in joker's hats, jingling our bells and waltzing merrily towards the cliff edge, each thinking our own dance is the best one to do....