When a Filthy Home Hits Health: How to talk to family without hurting feelings
A reader asks how to tell her son and his wife their home is filthy and affecting her breathing. Dear Abby suggests the issue may be an allergy to dust or animal dander and advises seeing a doctor first. Then she recommends communicating health concerns to the family in a non-blaming way and setting boundaries (for example, not watching the pets) to protect the reader’s health while trying to preserve the relationship.