Elderly tenant in NYC

[Barbara S.]

I am in NYC, have an elderly tenant that should be in a nursing home but refuses to go.  He is alone, no family and a handful of friends that check in on him occasionally.  I have been trying to get him social services for years now, and he flat out refuses their help.  I worry about him falling down the stairs.  I am also concerned that when he passes, I will be stuck with this disaster of an apartment and I have no idea what to do. He is currently in the hospital and will probably be discharged to a rehabilitation center once again.  How do I collect rent from him while he is away? And is there anything I can do to have him "committed" to a nursing home or assisted living? He is in his 90s and is a complete mess.  Has been wearing the same clothing since the summer, hasn't cleaned his apartment since the spring and left the gas on on his stove top last week and showed no remorse or concern for the other tenants in the building.  What should  I do to protect myself?

[Shane H.]

You could call Adult protective services - every state is different - I'm sure NY has some sort of department like that.