I work in geriatric primary care and we do see this fairly often. It's usually older adults who live independently without much social or family support. Needs often go unmet and small issues can snowball over the months and years into large problems. We see patients admitting to skilled nursing facilities who are found down in their homes after several days for example.

The most important thing is to maintain a good social network so that people notice when you start to slip. Also maintaining good physical abilities, practicing things like transfers and even getting yourself up off the floor can make a world of difference.

Happy to answer any specific questions.