My aunt will not leave the house. She has an infection - can I call the ambulanc!

Question: My aunt will not leave the house. She has an infection - can I call the ambulance?

My aunt hasn't left the house for 4 years. She refuses to seek medical attention for a problem with her walking. I live with her. I cannot force her to help herself. Now she has some infection resembling athlete's foot that hasn't gone away for 3 months. It spread to her ankle and her hand. She refuses to go to the doctor. Clearly because she won't leave the house at all and she won't seek medical treatment for the foot thing, she's mentally unstable. No sane person just stays in pain and without going outside for that long. I suggested a doctor in the neighborhood and she said she doesn't like the building the doctor is in. That alone suggests she's crazy.

I have tried everything. What if I just call the ambulance but she refuses? How can they determine she's not in her right mind and finally take her away to the hospital so she can get help?

Answers:

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Call 211, most areas in the US have it. Tell them you think your aunt needs a medical conservatorship. They will refer you to the proper agency who will probably have a nurse or doctor come out and evaluate her.

If it is not life threatening, they may not be able to do anything. It doesn't sound that serious. She probably has agoraphobia.

However, for her to be declared mentally ill to the point of needing a conservator, she has to be worse off than she sounds. Usually she has to be a danger to herself. Since this isn't life threatening, I don't know that they would appoint a conservator. The courts are reluctant to do that if she clearly understands the risks of what she has and not seeking treatment.

It also doesn't sound like ambulance case unless her foot is turning black - signs of gangrene. Or if she has a major fever or something.

You could also call the health department and see if they have a visiting nurse who can come out and take a look and see if it's that serious.

Former mental patient advocate.

get a doctor to go to your house

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My aunt will not leave the house. She has an infection - can I call the ambulanc!

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

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