Advice on issues concerning my Elderly parent 

Date: 2001, Mar 23
From: <kdesjar@rcsreg.com>

I am in desperate need of advice on how to handle several issues with my elderly Mother. Mother is 76, living alone and is mental depressed and is physically unwell. Some of her problems: She has lost 75 lbs in a year. She has severe hearing loss(the family has bought her hearing aids, she won't use). She has had partial dentures put in(never been to a dentist in her lifetime)and won't go back for necessary adjustments. She has not seen a physician(regular doctor)for 42 years(last baby)and refuses to go for a checkup. Financially she has run up several credit cards to the limit and will not admit she is in trouble. Her house is paid for and she could sell and move to a smaller house, but she thinks my Dad's spirit lives at the house(he died 25 years ago)and she won't leave. The family has offered to have her live with any one of us-she refuses. The question is-do we wait until an ambulance is called because she won't be looked at by Doctor's? How do we handle her housing situation as she can't keep up the house? Thanks for the advice