F. Smeath
Have you tried contacting the county health department/state health department "Aging Services" listed by that or a similar department name? Each county should have a department of family services which includes services for the aged/physically challenged. There ARE options available, even though you have to plough through the apathy/overloaded schedules of weary staffer/bureaucrats at times. She is old enough to qualify for social security assistance; the problem will be who has the legal right to make physical/financial/legal decisions for her. If she is totally mentally competent and just has ambulatory difficulties, she may merely need you to run interference for her with the local help agencies, but if she is unable to manage her own decisions because of her physical condition, you will have some resistance from the agency/department staffers because you are not blood relatives/legal representatives. By all means get in contact with department of family services in your area and keep talking until you find a social worker/case worker who will listen to you with intelligence, not impatience (there are good ones out there if you persist). You said she "essentially" has no family; if she does have any at all, it could be very helpful to get them on board with you (esp. if they are long distance and you are her only help-providers nearby) in a cooperative effort to find her the help she needs. Good luck--she's fortunate to have neighbors who care.