What I mean about the government impulse...

-------
updated with new content at the end
------

A compassionate government-owned utility company probably would cease utility shutoffs during the winter. And many places have regulations preventing utility shutoffs in winter anyway. Not Michigan's municipally-owned Bay City Electric Light-Power. See the AP story, "93-year-old froze to death, owed big utility bill." From the article:

A 93-year-old man froze to death inside his home just days after the municipal power company restricted his use of electricity because of unpaid bills, officials said. ... Schur owed Bay City Electric Light & Power more than $1,000 in unpaid electric bills, Bay City Manager Robert Belleman told The Associated Press on Monday.

A city utility worker had installed a "limiter" device to restrict the use of electricity at Schur's home on Jan. 13, Belleman said. The device limits power reaching a home and blows out like a fuse if consumption rises past a set level. Power is not restored until the device is reset. ...

Schur's body was discovered by neighbor George Pauwels Jr. "His furnace was not running, the insides of his windows were full of ice the morning we found him," Pauwels told the newspaper.

Belleman said city workers keep the limiter on houses for 10 days, then shut off power entirely if the homeowner hasn't paid utility bills or arranged to do so. He said Bay City Electric Light & Power's policies will be reviewed, but he didn't believe the city did anything wrong.

"I've said this before and some of my colleagues have said this: Neighbors need to keep an eye on neighbors," Belleman said. "When they think there's something wrong, they should contact the appropriate agency or city department."

In a different National Journal article there is this quote, about presidents, but it is no less apt about government at all levels, but people in power generally:

Presidents make two kinds of mistakes: diagnosing the wrong illness and prescribing the wrong medicine.

I don't think I'm up for working for the city manager of Bay City, Michigan.
------
Not that utilities are expected to be social workers, but a $1,000 unpaid bill, for an older person, can also be thought of as an indicator of a need for more careful and nuanced intervention--remember those old Dominion Power television commercials about their program for alerting relatives about unpaid utility bills?

I remember reading a piece in the New York Times, it might have been this, "Catching Seniors Before They Fall - The New Old Age Blog," that said that the "common occurrence" of falls by older people should be considered a potential indicator of other medical issues:

What the experts do know is that effective fall prevention requires three elements, which the Southern California research consortium is attempting to evaluate more closely: a physical examination and risk assessment conducted by a doctor or other medical professional, a progressive exercise regime implemented by a physical therapist, and an analysis and remediation of potential hazards in the home conducted by an occupational therapist.

The medical exam is designed to check risk factors like poor vision, overmedication, muscle weakness, gait or balance problems, and a history of earlier falls. The exercise piece aims to improve muscle strength and endurance in the legs, hips and trunk, which affect postural alignment and stability while walking. Home modification may include grab bars in the bathroom, handrails or ramps near stairways, wider doorways for walkers or wheelchairs, and the removal of stray power cords or throw rugs.

So much for an unpaid utility bill being seen as an indicator of the need for more nuanced intervention. The Dominion Power commercial ended showing the parents driving in an RV with a bumper sticker something like "we're spending our kids inheiritance." Unfortunately, that's not what happened with Mr. Schur.

Also see "Serenity In Emergencies: A Silver Spring ER Aims to Serve Older Patients " from today's Post about extra training in geriatric care for personnel at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring and "Friendship Heights in Front Ranks of Senior Care" also from the Post.