Call APS. This is the appropriate option because your cousin is at risk of harm through self-neglect and refusal of support. Don't look on it as "reporting her to the authorities"; instead, see it as referring her to the right place for the kind of help she needs, just as you'd call an ambulance if she'd broken her leg.
You can easily look the number up online, just Google "APS for [name of your cousin's area]."
'dire need of help' can you explain a bit more about that?
While standards of hygiene & living preferences certainly differ widely, I'm wondering about the safety level first. If this is a crises right now, or brewing on the horizon?
Questions Social Services may need to know may include;
Confused? Delusional? Wandering? Risk of self-harm or harm to others?
Is the person eating? Buy food, cook/reheat/make a sandwich?
Can the person handle money? Daily shopping, bills?
Manage meds? Leave home without help? Use a phone in an emergency?
Yes, you going to need to sit and wait till something happens, like a hospital visit. You then request an evaluation for Dementia and state that there is no one to care for her. So sending her home is not an option. The State can take over her care. Things will go quicker if they do.
You can easily look the number up online, just Google "APS for [name of your cousin's area]."
While standards of hygiene & living preferences certainly differ widely, I'm wondering about the safety level first. If this is a crises right now, or brewing on the horizon?
Questions Social Services may need to know may include;
Confused? Delusional? Wandering? Risk of self-harm or harm to others?
Is the person eating? Buy food, cook/reheat/make a sandwich?
Can the person handle money? Daily shopping, bills?
Manage meds? Leave home without help? Use a phone in an emergency?
state that there is no one to care for her. So sending her home is not an option. The State can take over her care. Things will go quicker if they do.