A 71-year-old Sandys lay dead in her home for several days before being discovered, Police have confirmed.

And the news has outraged the Opposition?s spokeswoman for seniors, who said more elderly Bermudians will die alone and undiscovered because they cannot afford the constant care they need if they have no family to look after them.

Police reported yesterday that at around 9.45 p.m. on Friday, a senior was found dead in her Huntley Lane, Sandys home.

?The deceased, 71-year-old Eula Stewart Watson of Sandys Parish was found in an unresponsive state inside her home by a member of the public,? a Police spokesman said. ?Following an autopsy, it was determined that she died of natural causes.

?From what I understand she had been there a while. It is not that unusual. If she was living by herself someone might have checked on her once a week. She could have been there a few days and no one will know. It is unfortunate that it had to happen, but she died peacefully in her own home.

?The Bermuda Police Service extends its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.?

However, Shadow Minister of Community, Cultural Affairs and Seniors Louise Jackson said the incident highlighted the ?pitiful? state of many of the Island?s 7,000 seniors.

?You are going to hear of more of these people dying alone. There is no overlay for them. It really is pitiful. Mrs. Jackson said. ?There is no one here to look after them and they are in deep trouble if they do not have a family to look over them.

?It is not enough to check on them once a week. Unfortunately our safety net for seniors has gaping holes. They don?t have the oversight of Government agencies to give them the protection they need against such a thing happening.?

Mrs. Jackson said many seniors earn less than $30,000 per year ? far less than the average income for working adults, who have a median gross annual income of $46,772 according to the most recent statistics.

Referring to a 2004 report, ?Ageing in Bermuda, Meeting the Needs of Seniors?, Mrs. Jackson said 25 percent of seniors under 65 and more than 50 percent of seniors over 65 have annual incomes of less than $12,000.

Most of the care provided for the Island?s seniors is left to charities or family members, she said, especially for those seniors who are unable to do their housework or go out for medicine.

Volunteers from Meals on Wheels, PALS and the Salvation Army care for homebound, seriously ill or homeless seniors, she said.

And although Government often sponsored these organisations, it cut its grant to the Salvation Army by 50 percent some years ago, she said.

Many seniors cannot afford both medication and health insurance.

?But you can?t get financial assistance if you have $5,000 in the bank,? she said. ?Many of them have the $5,000 for their funerals. They are not going to give that to anyone. It is the only thing they have.

?They should not be left alone if they are not well. A caring Government would provide some kind of rest home. But to get into a rest home you need all kinds of money.?

Caregivers can charge $25 per hour, she said.

Seniors issues deserve its own Government Department, she said, unlike the National Office for Seniors ? ?All they do is pass out pamphlets and tell them where to go.?