My neighbor has struggled for many years to keep her house. We think she's depressed. She hasn't gotten her mail in 6 months. She recently landed in the hospital. They don't know what's wrong. She asked me to check on her dogs. I did. There was poop on the floor - I expected that (there had been no one at the house for 3 days). But some of it was really dried (like a cow chip). The dogs had no food but plenty of water (toilets!). In the basement was a pile of cat poop 2 feet high. My other neighbor (I didn't want to go there by myself to confront 2 starving dogs) and I cleaned up the pee and poop, mopped the floors and attempted to vacuum. The smell was overpowering. There was also a lot of mold in the basement. I visited the neighbor tonight to tell her how the dogs were and told the nurses what I had seen. I know mold can make you sick - maybe it was a contributing factor to her illness. They told me that I should contact the health department. If I do that, she'll know it was me. But if I don't, she'll go back into a house that is probably making her sick. What do I do? Also, we cleaned up a ton of garbage that was mostly beer cans, vodka bottles, dog food bags and cigarette butts. Should I be concerned about the mold since I will be going to the house a few times a day to feed/let the dogs out?
Don't worry about the mold...just do as much as you can to clean things up while she's gone. Maybe secretly get neighbors involved to buy animal food etc. Don't report her....do you know how devastating that could be for her? She may give up on life.
You need to contact Adult Protective Services and Animal Control. Sad, sad situation, and dangerous for your neighbor and the animals.
You should not have take on this burden.
Something is wrong. Proper authorities need to be made aware of potential danger to animals and your neighbor.
Bless her, I hope she gets better and bless you for being such a good neighbor. You are a special person to go do that for her.
I think Adult Protective Services will offer to help her. Calling them is a helpful thing to do while calling the Health Dept. would likely result in legal action. Adult Protective Services has access to agencies who provide this kind of help.
Animal Control will most likely take the animals away from her if they're left alone. However, you are taking care of them for now. If she's there when they respond they'll issue a citation and give her an opportunity to clean up. I would call Animal Control and ask to be sure what their policy is.
You are an angel to help her like this. I might visit her and talk with her about what you see and ask her if she'd like some help. You could also talk with the hospital social worker who will offer her assistance before she leaves the hospital. The SW probably has a list of referrals too.
If there is a lot of mold I might wear a mask while inside. The animal feces may contain bacteria that would dissipate into the air that could be contributing to her illness too. Perhaps the health department could better answer your concern about exposure to mold.
Oh you are a dear to be helping her in these extreme conditions. I think I might talk to her first. I would be very kind and understanding and just plain tell her that she is overwhelmed and not healthy. Tell her what you have seen and it is not good for her, you or the dogs. Talk about your concern regarding her health..alcohol and cigarettes are not a path to recovery. Ask her what she plans to do to help her own situation? If she says she doesn't know what to do then you can tell her that there are programs out there that will help her.
The dogs can be placed in better care. Ask her if she would like you to find her some help? If she doesn't want help or makes no suggestions to get help then I would do what the nurses suggested. Try the nice way first to get her involved in helping herself..if she doesn't take it then you have got to report her. She will know it was you but she will also know that YOU tried working with her.
She is sick..very sick. People that live in these situations are very sick mentally,emotionally and usually physically too. They can be the nicest people...but this is no way for those dogs to be living in. It breaks my heart!!
Good luck and best wishes!
I think you have a responsibility now to report what you have seen. But I would first talk to the woman and get a dialogue going. This is not safe for her or a situation that will help get her out of depression.
why don't you call adult protective services to consult? In my area you can speak with a social worker, consult, and file an official report or not. You can report anonymously, despite having gone into the home, and eventually a social worker can follow up and keep a case open or close it. They can also call the health department, if need be. I think that since she is hospitalized nothing will happen now, since she is safely away from the potentially harmful environment. In your neighbors case you have a couple of choices to report, self neglect or animal neglect. Good luck, as for your own exposure it sounds as though you are probably ok, since you do not report feeling any particular thing during or after your exposure. You can always call your primary physician and see what she/he says.
I'd be concerned about all of it.
The animals should probably be in a shelter and I've heard of houses being condemned if they were full of animal poop/pee.
The mold is not good and could be very bad to live with.
She might have developed a phobia about leaving her house or she might need to be in an assisted living situation if she can no longer maintain herself.
Does she have any family that should be notified?
Health department needs to be called or they are going to find her dead in that house someday (and starving animals will eat what's available).
S.,
Can you contact her family? Close friend? I would start there and then see what they can do to help her. She sounds horribly depressed and maybe they can help her to get help. As for the animals, keep feeding them but consider calling health dept. not good enviro for her or her animals. GL
M
Does she have family members that you know of that you might contact?
Sounds like she is depressed, possibly OCD/hoarding, etc......
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Before you enter her house again get a hepa filter mask from home depot to protect your lungs. Wear something old and long over your clothing when you go in. Talk to her in the hospital let her know what you are doing and ask her if she wants help. If she does ralley friendly receptive neighbors to help with the house clean up either via a pro or everyone taking turns. Then if she is willing call in a social worker. This way she does not lose her home and it is condemed and boarded and your proprty values plummet while a boarded house goes through the courts. Also neighbor should know and help out neighbors. This all said if she refuses the help then adult services will be needed as the situation will only get worse. I recall a neighbor 2 doors down from our house in Belvidere who seemed like she was getting along okay just divorced had 3 kids but we did not know she had cancer was working 2 jobs and tring to care for her blind elderly mother and her house was a disaster. Someone complained about a set of tires that were in her yard to the city and she had been too weak to roll them to her car and take them to a shop for recycle. Long story ended with the city condeming her home because she had not been able to do certain maintanance and and was not kept inside. Her mom died 2 weeks after going to a nursing home and she ended her treatments her kids were separated in foster care. So try to help if you can if you simply cannot try to find another kind soul as it sounds like you have done a lot.
Very sad for you and your neighbor. How close are you to her? Can you be frank about what you have seen and told us? Are her animals basically the only family/loved ones she has? She and the animals need proper care, feeding and love. If she is not mentally, financially and physically capable of doing this, then you must take the necessary steps to see that all are cared for.
Blessings.....
If she has family (and you probably will have to ask), it's time to contact them and see if they can come and get involved. If you can't get family involved, do call social services. Tell her that you've done this, and that you know she is probably really angry at you for doing this, but you are greatly concerned about the conditions she's living in, and that she needs more assistance than you can give to get her home into a safe & healthy livable condition. Offer to continue to care for the dogs. Do buy yourself a HEPA mask to wear, and use old clothing that immediately goes into the wash after you're over there and an old pair of shoes (that stay outside your house) (You can buy some cheap coveralls and just put them on over your clothes).
You are a blessing for your neighbor.She may be in the hospital for a long time though, so you need to contact family or other neighbors to help out. Certain molds can have a very bad effect on health and completely incapacitate people. Being away from the mold will have a dramatic effect if this is the problem. I believe the cost for having it tested is $300, money she may or may not have. If she is depressed (as in bi-polar or manic) it may be hard to have an intelligent conversation with her, so hopefully you can get her family involved. I fear that by calling the health department they will condemn her home. Adult services sounds like a better way to go. Wow, so many layers of issues to deal with! You are a good neighbor.
If you take the dogs anywhere, be very sure they won't be put down. Some say they won't they if they aren't re-claimed in a few days they are put down. Perhaps someone in the neighborhood or a friend can foster them for a while until things clear up one way or another???
