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My brother in Alabama has a very sick tenant that no family wants to care for. He feels stuck with her and she is getting medically worse. She went into the hospital, had surgery, and because her insurance won't pay for rehab, she was sent home in practically worse condition than when she went in.... what is my brother to do?

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Contact senior protective services or such agency in the area. She will have to be dealt with by county and/or state social services. If she is in serious danger call 911 and he should be explicit with them to tell the ER people she's on her own and not to discharge her with no one out there for her. The hospital should have a social worker that can intervene and get her placed. Some areas of the country are better than others with these situations. I guessing that Alabama is not good but it's the only choice for her.
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PS...if they send her home again he should call the police. They are endangering a helpless person.
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This one perplexed me. What kind of surgery was it? If it was surgery that required follow-up rehab, I don't know which insurance plans wouldn't pay for it if it was prescribed by the doctor. Do you think that maybe she wanted to come home and avoid rehab and a potential copay? Is she old enough for Medicare? Medicare definitely covers rehab following surgery.
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Since this is a landlord-tenant relationship, he definitely needs to get the authorities involved. He cannot simply tell her to move as she has tenant's rights. And at the risk of being doom/gloom if she passes away at his home he will be responsible for the hazmat cleaning required to be able to rent to another tenant under health codes. Expensive, difficult, time consuming. And sometimes that is what will get brother moving. When my aunt died at my mother's home, furniture had to be disposed of under city health codes, and mom was told that if she had carpet it would have had to be replaced (wood floor that was steam cleaned).
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Great answers! Kind of a long the same lines, if my FIL dies in my home of age related conditions, and I go to sell my home, do I have to report that when I sell my home?
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I'm going to guess two things. 1: she refused rehab. 2: she lied and said there is someone to help her. I agree he should be calling the county APS (adult protection service) to check on her welfare.
staceb: If FIL dies in your home, report it immediately by calling 911. Then you won't have to throw away furniture and carpet.
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IF a patient dies at home of a contagious virus or bacteria, the local Health department can order quarantine/disinfection/evacuation of the home. So if aunty had MRSA (bacteria) or TB (spirochete) or Hantavirus or similar, the place will be disinfected.
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Hey Pam. Mom never said why health dept comments when they picked up aunt. Very possible as she had complications from COPD, CHF, and a botched mastectomy that "never healed right".. Bad scene, aunt's only son (my cousin's) wife literally grabbing jewelry out of my SIL's hand as SIL got aunt ready to go with coroner. It's all about money with some folks.
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Pamstegma.... you are exactly right on both counts. My brother's mistake was in taking her back... she actually rents a large room in his house.... and it stinks to high heaven because she's been peeing in it for months.., but showers everyday for work, so he never knew. He is speaking to a lawyer, and I told him.... never mind the renter/rentee relationship. Get her into the hospital and leave her there with a note telling whats wrong. Just get her out of your house, and the state will have to step in. Sounds cruel, but really... it isn't.
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Jocelyne, I'm guessing your brother didn't have the tenant sign a lease? If he had, there likely would be some provision in it about maintaining the premises in habitable condition. He could declare a default in her compliance and use that as grounds to make her change her behavior and/or find someplace else to live.

I'm glad he's getting legal advice though.
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Excellent, GardenArtist.... thank you. I'm pretty sure he does have them sign a lease, I just hope it has that provision in it. Thank you.
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