All,
I am not a caregiver, but I am worried about an elderly neighbor of mine.
Several times recently we have been woken up to our elderly neighbor trying to walk into our house. He doesn't know where he is and goes in a circle of the several houses close to his banging on the doors and trying to open them.
The first time this happened, our security door was unlocked and he kept swinging it open, it was 3AM, and we don't have a peep-hole or window overlooking our door and don't live in the best neighborhood so we ended up calling the cops thinking someone was trying to rob us, to later see the cops were escorting him home (also, it was about 30 degrees and he was in his underwear).
After we've known it was him, since then I've taken him back to his house and locked his door to keep him in.
His daughter is supposed to be his caregiver, but she lives separately to him. She has been informed of these incidents, but still lives separately. I don't know either of them well, before this I had probably had 3 conversations with the old guy when out walking my dogs.
Should I report this to Adult Protective Services, or something else? I believe he is a danger to himself if he continues to live without any supervision. He could die of exposure, get hit by a car, or walk into the wrong house and catch a bullet. But I also don't want him to be forced out of his house. Especially now...if I called something in and he was taken to an adult care facility that ended up having an outbreak of COVID-19, I don't know how I'd handle that.
So please, any advice?
The only way to get him the care he needs is to report him to APS and yes, i would alert the police when he is wandering the neighborhood.
Find out if you have a "community policing" number in your locale and call them to discuss this situation.
Call APS explaining the Police have taken him home and you have escorted him back. You really do not know the family well, just a hi in passing. You are worried about the man, could they please investigate the situation. You have done what you could. If APS falls down on the job, then call the police every time the man gets out. Eventually, the Police will do something. And all the neighbors should complain about him banging on their doors in the middle of the night.
Please, don't feel bad if placing him in LTC results in him passing. He is not safe where he is. You have no way of knowing what dangerous things he is doing behind closed doors. So its a catch 22 no matter how u look at it.
I fear the worse if he keeps knocking on doors.
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