I have an elderly friend in her 80's who recently survived brain surgery. She does not have dementia but has limited vision. She is somewhat frail, and doesn't clean her apartment which is quite filthy with roaches. We are thinking of getting her a social worker to help her find a caretaker to help clean. But some of us are worried that the social worker may notify the building staff which would result in her getting evicted. Is this a legitimate concern?
I think in your shoes, I would call the local Area Agency on Aging and find out what they recommend in situations such as this.
I think she is far more likely to be evicted by management if she DOESN'T have the protection of an agency/care worker who can advocate for her.
Roaches in an apartment? Those things don't have any sense of boundaries, once they have gotten in a bldg. there are there for good. One nice apt I managed became infested 40 years ago and is STILL on a monthly 'spray' regimen, 40 YEARS people.
Yes, she can be evicted, but the 'hangers on' will always be there. There's almost no way to control roaches in a large bldg.
A SW? I think a family member is going to have to step up if they want this lady to retain her apartment. A SW is far more likely to call in the apt manager and who knows what the dynamic is going to be like?
She needs a lot of help. Does she have family who can/will step up? And I am sorry to have to say this, but you HAVE to report the roaches. You can't prove they came from her apt but you need to have them dealt with.
And yes, you do have a real concern for her to be evicted. One has to hope they will give her some time to get her act together--sounds like she really needs to be in a better living arrangement, but that's probably not your call.
As for being evicted, one would need to read your friends Lease. As for a place being filthy or not, it all depends on the person's personal reference. If you feel the place is in need of a good scrubbing, can your friend afford to have a cleaning crew come over and give the apartment a good once over? If she cannot afford that, maybe a group of her friends could chip in and gift her a professional cleaning. Hopefully she will accept it.
I tried to gift my Mom [in her 90's] a house cleaning and my Mom was insulted. Oops, that wasn't my intentions. The dust bunnies were multiplying but Mom couldn't see it with her limited vision, and my Dad never noticed it.... [sigh].
It was managed by monthly treatment from a professional exterminator.
I am sure that they were happy to see me go because I was always making them deal with the problem.
Can you set some roach motels or whatever is the best to kill roaches in her apartment for her?
I think that Barb is right about her having an advocate to protect her. So contacting your area on aging should start the process. She may need facility care if she can't take care of herself safely, so be prepared for things to change for her.
Nothing can stop her landlord from filing for eviction. She will have to appear in court and a judge will determine whether or not she is in violation of the agreement and whether or not the landlord gave her reasonable notice to fix the filth. To head all of that off at the pass, offer to help her hire a "Move In/Move Out" cleaning from a reputable cleaning service and a visit from an exterminator. If she's offended, oh well, it's better than being evicted. Time for a dose of truth that only a good friend can deliver.