I'm a 28 year old male, and had a 60 year old male roommate who works in a school apply to live with me (roommate situation, private bedrooms with shared common areas). 

He hasn't been evicted from his current place per court records, has a job at a school, seems like a good person who helps his family which I admire, and lives with a roommate now so he's used to having roommates-- his name wasn't on his current apartment as it was in his roommate's name. He had a week to move out of his current place since his former roommate decided to move. That seems fishy, but... he seemed honest/upfront and it wouldn't be the first roommate to bail on someone last minute.

I'm wondering... would you accept a middle-aged new roommate who has an upcoming knee surgery this month, the same month as his moving in, as a new roommate? 

Am I crazy for considering him, or a jerk for not considering him?

He said his friend would come for a week and a half to take care of him after his surgery. That sounded ok, until I started googling knee surgery recovery times. I don't know what specific surgery he's having, but at 60, I'm imagining it's more major than minor. He's active, into camping and running. But, is it realistic to think he'll be up/around/independent after a week or two?

I really don't want to get into a situation where I'm going to get groceries for someone I just met or doing their laundry or checking to make sure they haven't fallen or whatever. Maybe I should, but I just have a lot going on. I don't want to exclude a roommate for their health or age, if it wasn't for a surgery the same month, I wouldn't have any worries about our age difference. It's the surgery plus walking unsteady (= falling and worries of liability), and worries of how long it'll take him to be up and going again independently.

Is a knee surgery at 60 something where a person can really be up/around and back at a work a week later?

I just keep thinking ... knee surgery = unsteady walking = liability.

I haven't had many inquiries, even though my price and property is very competitive--- it's winter. 

This person seems perfectly nice, has a job working in a school.... but I can't help but think
1) who has under a week to find a new place to live, what went south with the former roommate? and
2) is knee surgery something that takes only a week or two off work? Is it something that means no driving for weeks, and him then asking me to do him favors?

Am I a jerk for thinking knee surgery = fall hazard (and/or potentially weeks/months off of work and running the utilities up all day/night home 24/7)? 

Am I realistic in thinking his friend will be here more than a week and a half to help him post-surgery (more people than I want to live with if the friend stays weeks, more utilities in general), and that I'll get stuck helping him for at least a few weeks if he needs groceries/etc.? 

I'm not home much so I can turn off the house heat during the business day into the evening hours. If someone has surgery and it takes weeks of recovery, that's another 10+ hours a day of home heating.

What would you do if you were me? I feel rather "un-nice" for thinking about the liability and potential hassle on my end of a new roommate who has surgery this month, but I don't want to let my "niceness" and thinking he's "nice" or "had a rough time" make me pick a bad business decision of a roommate.

I've never had a roommate have surgery, though I've lived with people from age 18 to 52 before. 

I keep talking myself into it, then out of it-- and I really don't know what to do here. Ethics vs. kindness vs. business, I keep debating the risks vs. trying to be a kind person.

Can someone please talk some sense into me? :)

I really don't know what to do here, my liability worries are equal to me "give the guy a break"/be open-mindedness.