This takes place in California. A boarding house is shared between 4 people, which are 3 tenants who have leases, and one homeowner.
The homeowner, 75, has been diagnosed with dementia 2 years ago but she was able to live and function normally in the house for most of that time.
The homeowner has 2 friends who live out of town and have legal power of attorney, to help manage leases, expenses and rents, but nobody has medical power of attorney over her. She has no direct family, except an estranged daughter, but they don't talk.
During the course of last week, the homeowner's mental health has suddenly extremely deteriorated, and she started physically assaulting tenants - not recognizing them anymore, and thinking they are intruders in her house. She attacked a 65 year old tenant with a serious illness, and tried to strangulate her.
Police have come, and refused to do a 72 Hour Mental Health Unvoluntary Hold because they said in people with Dementia, aggressivity is usually a sign of a UTI and said it was therefore due to general health, not mental health. She behaves aggressively around her tenants that she accuses of occupying her house illegally, but is nice to the police and medics.
She was taken to her G.P., who said she has advanced dementia, and sent her home. She now has an appointment with a neurologist, but only in 2 weeks, during which the 3 tenants do not feel safe being in the house with her, and during which she will not be medically supervised by anyone. She also cannot take proper care of herself anymore.
Is there a quick and legal way for the tenants of this house to be safe in the house again, or a recourse to prevent violence from happening or escalating dangerously until she can be admitted in a proper medical facility?