Older neighbor asking me for grocery and gas money, I'm afraid it will become a habit
I (28F) live in an apartment building 4th floor with an older neighbor "John" (I'm guessing in his mid 60s) living on the 1st floor. He's unemployed, lives alone but has an adult son living somewhere else in the same city, and has some visible disabilities: he walks slowly and with a limp, and currently has cataracts/vision problems.
Over a year ago I became acquainted with John since he hangs out around the complex a lot and I walk my dog multiple times a day and ran into him regularly. We had small talk convos, when we first met he mentioned he was trying to find a job but nobody would hire him. It's kind of obvious that he just really wanted to talk to people, I presume he's lonely and it doesn't seem like has a great support system.
Overall he seems like a nice enough guy, but I definitely get the sense that he's got some mental decline. I did perhaps make a mistake and tell him which unit I live in, occasionally he comes by and knocks on my door. One time he came by insisting that there was something in his finger and needed my help using tweezers to pull it out (he couldn't see for himself due to cataracts). There was nothing on/in his finger except a small cut; I assume it was self inflicted trying to "get out" whatever was in there.
Less than a week ago I ignored some times he knocked on my door, then I run into him in the lobby and he's telling me he had surgery scheduled for his cataracts but his son couldn't get him to his appointment because he didn't have gas money. He did not outright ask for gas money from me, but he was strongly hinting at it, saying he didn't know who to turn to and had nobody to help him out. I offered to give him $20 as a gift, no strings attached, so that he could get to his surgery. He accepted.
Today I ignored his knock on my door again because he came by while I was in a work meeting (WFH), then I later run into him in the lobby and he asks me for a big favor: another loan (first time was a gift but that's the word he used). He needs money for food. I try and get a little more information from him about his situation because yellow flags are going up for me. Apparently his son manages all his money and also picks up his prescriptions for him, but has been slacking lately. He says his son hasn't been answering his phone, but upon further questioning John said he just spoke to his son LAST NIGHT. So when he said his son hasn't been answering he meant just this morning. He says he really hates to ask and has never been in this position before. I agree to give him another $20, also gave him some trash bags and some bar soap that he asked for.
If it just ends here and he never asks for another "favor" I would be fine with it, but I'm afraid I've opened myself up to being his safety net. I need a plan for what to do if he asks again. I believe he genuinely needs help and I'd feel awful if not giving him some grocery money means he'd go hungry, but it also sounds like the son has the money and they're just not good at communicating? Or perhaps cognitive decline is playing a role here?
TLDR: I've given the old man in my building $40 in the last week for gas and groceries, now I need help on how to establish a boundary and/or perhaps give him an alternate plan of action if he needs more help and comes to me again.