environmental health query

[boredsolicitor]

over xmas i have learnt that a relative in her 60s has lost the plot with keeping on top of her house . she has always been a bit odd and then started hoarding . Now i have learnt her cooker doesn't work nor her boiler so she boils a kettle to wash and also that the loo doesn't flush - boak!! she has continence problems and i don't know if this is linked to the loo and she uses incontinence pads as a coping mechanism . she won't let anyone in the house but when we dropped her off i could see the window and door frames are rotting . also the roof leaks .

when i ask about the house and work that needs doing she gets properly huffy and disengages. she's a very prickly character but has capacity . it's not financial . she has at least 300k stashed away .

i'm wondering at what point environmental health might intervene and condemn the house ? it's a terraced house but i don't think any of this affects the neighbours so bearing in mind it's her house and she has capacity do they just leave her to it? i'm struggling to know what to do . my instinct is to refer it to
environmental health but she will probably never speak to me again if i do and i would prefer not to do this unless it's clear they'll do something to
help- hoping someone knows about these things and can advise ?

at the very least the toilet issue needs to be sorted! People can live in their own filth to a certain extent but the human waste issue is a whole other level. Are SS involved at all? Age concern are always very good to contact for advice. You say she has capacity but hoarding and not getting your toilet fixed indicate huge MH issues so someone must be able to do something. as per council link, that is a personal hygiene issue, and the hoarding could lead to infestation. I think it’s perfectly possible that a neighbour would be reporting before too long, she may not know it was you.

www.thanet.gov.uk/info-pages/filthy-and-verminous/
In some cases the situation may deteriorate to a level where there are personal hygiene issues, smells, accumulations of waste, possibly infestations of rats, mice, flies and there is a real risk to the health of the occupier and others such as neighbours. If you are aware of someone who is living like this who may require our assistance please contact us.

thank you so much . that's a useful link . yes i agree there must be some underlying mental health issue but we don't see each other regularly ( her choice) and this has rather crept up and taken me by surprise . i know this is going to be tough but doing nothing isn't an option either . thanks again