RE Serious Subject ~ Reporting Suspected Neglect

RE Tough Subject ~ Reporting Suspected Neglect As real estate professionals we are entering homes everyday.  We see and observe many things.  Most recently a colleague of mine called me for some advice regarding a very serious situation.  She was previewing a home where an elderly person was being cared for. As she peeked into the room where the person was she said she was struck by the smell, the disarray of the room and the appearance of neglect.  She immediately closed the door and basically just wanted to get out of the home.  What she couldn't shake was the person inside of this room. As she went about her day she couldn't shake the image or the smells.  She knew that she needed to do something but what?  To whom do you report such a thing?  Do I need to speak to my Broker? My advice was to speak to her Broker immediately and then do the right thing and report what she experienced.  I looked up some resources and found the National Center on Elder Abuse and found some great information.  There is also a page for state-by-state reporting agencies. When reporting a suspected case, your identity is kept confidential.  More importantly however is that the suspected abuse is reported and if there is abuse or neglect this person could be helped by your intervention.  As with suspected child abuse, it is our responsibility to report what we see or encounter. I pray that this situation is taken care of and that this elderly person is cared for properly.  Yes, the person could have just opened the door at the wrong time but the complete state of the room was the tipping point.  I would say err on the side of caution with this very serious situation.      "Have you fully lived today?" Paula L. McDonald ~ REALTOR® Broker ~ The Woodlands, Texas 936-203-0279 Direct Selling The Woodlands real estate and surrounding areas! Paula@ChevauxGroup.com                    Copyright 2015 Paula McDonald