She is in her 80’s, childless, was pretty much supported throughout her life by a sister who is herself in her 90’s and far away, and who needs to now maintain money for her own expenses. Never gainfully employed, always a ditz and now a ditz with dementia: Friends & neighbors (sounds like mostly people in her neighborhood who she’s “borrowed” money from over the years) are very concerned for her: City condemned her home because she had created an unsafe environment for herself (sister bought the property for her); Debris including useful, junk and trash items, was piled everywhere up to about waist level. Kitchen unusable. Bills unpaid etc. Friends/neighbors have been great, doing some cleaning etc, but they are burning out. We didn’t have much of a relationship with her and are far away. She is on senior service’s radar, whatever that means. She’s not eating regularly. What can we do? Thank you.
This is one of those tar baby situations. You could stick your hand in to help, but the tar baby would grab hold and you couldn’t get loose. Then you reach in with your other hand to turn yourself loose, and that hand sticks too. Your head, your feet, everything gets stuck, and then you’ll never get out.
Sounds like she may be a hoarder, which is a mental disorder and cleaning up will only infuriate her and she won't be grateful and will just fill up her house again. Report her to the city as a hazard and to APS. That's as much as anyone can do.