What to do about elderly relative re: safety concerns.

[NorthernRedneck]

So we're dealing with a situation. My wife has 3 children from a previous marriage. Both my wife and I are close to her former in-laws. They are still the kids grandparents. They have one estranged son (my wife's ex) who hasn't seen or spoken to them in 7 months despite living in the same community.

She is in her late 70s and going downhill rather quickly with alzheimers. He is a rather simple man who is on the eccentric side. We just found out that he has fallen down the stairs at home recently and couldn't get up. She doesn't know what to do in that situation given her situation.

How can we help when we don't really have any legal genetic ties to them other than the 3 grandchildren?

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We've been discussing this eventuality for years now and it's finally come to a head. We've got no idea what to do as it's not hers or my relative. We have been in discussions with a sibling of his on the opposite side of the province keeping her updated as she doesn't see the daily regression and struggles.

 

[pirate_girl]

He needs placement before he hurts himself.
Anyway you can pull it off.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

We're looking into a local community care group for adult advocacy that provides a bunch of different services for seniors. She's the one going downhill fast. He's just being patient and trying to do everything himself for her. We've offered to help.

 

[pirate_girl]

We're looking into a local community care group for adult advocacy that provides a bunch of different services for seniors. She's the one going downhill fast. He's just being patient and trying to do everything himself for her. We've offered to help.

I'm sorry, I misread that.
If I were you, I'd definitely look into home health visitation, twice per day if possible.
They can help with making sure their house is kept clean, they can help them with bathing and errands.
And if you have anything like "meals on wheels", that will help too.
Good luck.

 

[tommu56]

We're looking into a local community care group for adult advocacy that provides a bunch of different services for seniors. She's the one going downhill fast. He's just being patient and trying to do everything himself for her. We've offered to help.

Id also suggest if he wants to do it himself try and give him a brake watch her while he go's shopping or some other thing to get him out of the house
or short vacation has a weekend with his buddies fishing or hunting
that's what we did with a neighbor till she passed the whole neighborhood worked with him it only took one day a month because if the people in the neighbor hood and family not we started before she was in her decline so she bonded with us easier