Covid-jab nurses call at OAP’s house... and find body of wife ‘that had lain for over a year’
A PENSIONER found dead in her home by nurses may have lain there for more than year.
Christina Malley’s body was discovered when the nurses made a visit after she missed her Covid-19 vaccination.
The elderly woman lived with her husband, Daniel, at a property in Cove, near Aberdeen.
But neighbours claimed they had no idea that she was in the house and had only seen Mr Malley around the neighbourhood when he would go out to get his daily paper from a nearby shop.
The house, in Allison Close, was boarded up yesterday, with wooden sheets covering the windows and doors after a forensics team removed the body.
One man, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘My daughter has lived on the street for about a year. I never once saw a woman. You would see Danny now and then going to the shop for his paper.
‘I was digging some fence posts last Thursday and it was two district nurses I saw. They asked me if I knew the woman in that house. I thought they meant the next one over. I told them I’d never seen a woman at that house. The blinds were always closed.’
Other neighbours also said they were unaware of a woman living at the address.
The death is being treated as ‘unexplained’, however, a postmortem examination is being carried out to establish how Mrs Malley died.
A police spokesman said: ‘Officers were called to an address in Allison Close, Aberdeen, on Thursday, February 25, after the body of a woman was found within. The death is being treated as unexplained and inquiries are ongoing. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.’
Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said there was a growing problem with isolation among the elderly during the pandemic.
He said: ‘Before the pandemic we estimated there was one chronically lonely older person on every street in Scotland.
‘We now believe this is much worse, with more older people feeling isolated and cut off than ever before. This is having a devastating impact on both mental and physical health.
‘It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, especially with Covid-19 restrictions in place. But we
‘The blinds were always closed’
can all help to look out for older people.
‘Simply taking the time to get to know your neighbours, or having a friendly call or blether on the doorstep could make a huge difference to someone who is feeling isolated.
‘If you’re concerned or haven’t seen someone for a while, then we would encourage you to check they are doing OK and ask if they need any help.
‘Any older person can also call our free helpline for advice, information, or a chat on 0800 12 44 222.’