Gene Hackman 95 RIP

[Ματθιας]

If Hackman had "advanced" ALZ, I'm wondering why they didn't have some sort of home healthcare coming by and checking in. They could afford it.

As far as getting hanta, cleaning, like sweeping, could easily kick up dust with dried bits of mouse pee/poo into the air. It's been one of the driest winters in NM so everything is dusty. Sweeping a dusty porch or mudroom- or an area with no ventilation - just a guess.

 

[rockquarry]

Lots of detectives on this forum...

Internet detectives...

 

[Onomea]

I mean no disrespect to the couple, at all but....

I don't think it was a bad way to go. The circumstances as we understand them, I mean. Sure, a bit gruesome for those of us left behind, but..

They seem to have had a very good, very close, very loving, successful marriage. They lived independently, surely due to Betsy's devotion as Gene's dementia worsened. Gene was 95, and had, per the reports, severe dementia. (Which surely grew increasingly worse over time.) Still, they were able to live together, independently, in their own home.

The pathology, if that's the right word, says that she, Betsy, died ten days or so before him, of hantavirus. I think the speculation above, that maybe she thought it was the flu, but did not want to leave him, with his dementia, alone, so she did not have her own health checked out, makes sense.

And, the guess that Gene, severely impaired with dementia, may not have understood that she had preceded him, makes sense to me, too.

So, perhaps, after she died, Gene kept to his routine of going for a walk. Perhaps he forgot his meds. But, as we know, from his cardiac arrest in the mud room, he could not survive without her. And likely, if he were aware of the circumstances, he would not have wanted to survive her.

The way I like to think of it, anyway, is that the two of them did not have to suffer being alone, as many of us here do, or will do in the future.

Rest in peace, Gene and Betsy.

 

[S-W4EVER]

I re-watched Mississippi Burning again last night. Hackman is so good in that.

Great movie! Perfect example of what Federalism is supposed to be.

 

[Golddollar]

I mean no disrespect to the couple, at all but....

And, the guess that Gene, severely impaired with dementia, may not have understood that she had preceded him, makes sense to me, too.

I watched my aunt who died a year ago go into the throes of dementia. She forgot she was married, she didn't recognize my uncle (her husband of 63 years) when he had a beard and thought she was out of her home (probably the house she grew up in in Punxsutawney) even though she had been living in the house 4 blocks from me for 22 years. The amazing thing was she didn't forget who I was, but then she had known me for some 65 years since I was a little boy. Nothing about the speculation about what happened to Gene Hackman would surprise me.

 

[S-W4EVER]

I dealt with Alzheimer’s victims on the job, what a sad, sad disease...

 

[ladder13]

The Lounge A Catch-All Area for NON-GUN topics.
PUT GUN TOPICS in the GUN FORUMS.
Keep it Family Friendly. See The Rules for Banned Topics!

THE LOUNGE, OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. HANDEJECTOR APPROVED.

 

[LVSteve]

I watched my aunt who died a year ago go into the throes of dementia. She forgot she was married, she didn't recognize my uncle (her husband of 63 years) when he had a beard and thought she was out of her home (probably the house she grew up in in Punxsutawney) even though she had been living in the house 4 blocks from me for 22 years. The amazing thing was she didn't forget who I was, but then she had known me for some 65 years since I was a little boy. Nothing about the speculation about what happened to Gene Hackman would surprise me.

My father passed having suffered some kind of dementia for the previous 7 months or so. I wasn't in England to see as I was looking after my wife at the beginning of what became the terminal stage of her cancer. Without a Star Trek transporter, I was unable to help both.

I was told by the neighbor that stepped up and got him into a facility that Dad had regressed to about 1973. He passed in his sleep after contracting a bit of a cold or some such. When they cleaned out his room, they found several bunches of keys that the staff thought were lost. I knew from Dad's time doing classified stuff for UK.gov that he could not abide people leaving keys unattended. Sure as heck I couldn't in our homes. Gave me a good laugh, to be honest.

 

[lihpster]

This situation is exactly why the caregivers need to take care of themselves, also. If the caregiver goes down, often the patient cannot summon help or doesn't even realize the need for help. Dementia doesn't just take your memories, it takes away your abilities. It takes a terrible toll, not just on those afflicted with it, but family and friends, too. My father had it, and I watched it slowly whittle every thing that was him away. It's no exaggeration to say it damn near killed me.
Personally I am glad that their nightmare is over. I hope they found peace in death.

 

[BC38]

This situation is exactly why the caregivers need to take care of themselves, also. If the caregiver goes down, often the patient cannot summon help or doesn't even realize the need for help. Dementia doesn't just take your memories, it takes away your abilities. It takes a terrible toll, not just on those afflicted with it, but family and friends, too. My father had it, and I watched it slowly whittle every thing that was him away. It's no exaggeration to say it damn near killed me.
Personally I am glad that their nightmare is over. I hope they found peace in death.

I feel what you're saying.
My wife's mom passed away around 8 years ago from Alzheimer's.
The last couple of years of her life, she didn't even recognize either of her daughters - my wife, or her sister.
She was always the kindest, gentlest person you could imagine, but the disease completely changed her, and towards the end she would become so agitated that she would physically lash out at her caregivers.
I really loved my mother-in-law. In many ways, I felt closer to her than I did to my own mother. But during that last year or two of her life I just couldn't make myself go with my wife to visit her. It was just too painful.
The woman I knew and loved so much for so many years was already gone. I'm ashamed to admit it, but at that point in my life, I just wasn't strong enough to deal with it, so I avoided going to see her. In my mind, she was already gone.
The one blessing is that she didn't know the difference. She wouldn't have recognized me even if I had gone to visit her.
Alzheimer's isn't nearly as hard on the person who has it as it is on the people who love them...

 

[SMSgt]

Gene deserved better than this.

 

[Imissedagain]

If you're fortunate enough to have a competent doctor,
there are tests for Beta-Amyloid and possibly other brain issues.
CSF, Scans, Blood and most likely others.

 

[ladder13]

Newsmax is running a special on the life of Hackman, next one at 9pm. Very interesting.

America’s Actor: Gene Hackman

 

[03hemi]

Watched Runaway Jury last night.
Sorta like a liberal's dystopian make believe dream world movie where a victim of gun violence sues a firearms mfgr and he's on the defense team. The movie is laughable at best and just plain ol' Hollywood make believe at worst.

 

[Chubbs103]

Gene deserved better than this.

I hope this doesn't come off as insensitive on my part.

My guess, is that Mr. Hackman and his wife made a decision to carry out the later years of their lives in a certain manner. This can come with risks.

My parents are in their 80s. They are still doing relatively well cognitively, however there are signs this won't always be the case.

My sister is pushing for assisted living. My parents are pushing back. I am trying to find compromises. They are well aware of the risks. As long as one of them is still of sound mind, the decision is up to them.

 

[lihpster]

My parents are in their 80s. They are still doing relatively well cognitively, however there are signs this won't always be the case.

My sister is pushing for assisted living. My parents are pushing back. I am trying to find compromises. They are well aware of the risks. As long as one of them is still of sound mind, the decision is up to them.

Chubbs, as far as compromises go, a home health care team, which visits once or twice a week is a good choice. Check with the insurance to make sure if they have coverage, but if they have, it can be very beneficial.
One of the best things is your parents would see a trained medical professional every week. They are able to see changes quicker than an M.D. every 6 months. Besides nurses, they have physical and occupational therapists, even dietary advice and can recommend physical adaptation to the home to make it easier for them.
Another thing is make sure you have the proper paperwork done now. Once a person reaches a certain point, they can no longer sign POAs, make changes to the will, sign a POLST etc. Don't ask me how I know, just trust me, you don't want to find out after they are incapacitated that you legally can't access their bank accounts to pay for care, re-register their car or even get their taxes done.
Watching your parents aging is tough. Doing it without the proper legal authority is crippling. I wish you nothing but the best in the future.

 

[Golddollar]

Another thing is make sure you have the proper paperwork done now. Once a person reaches a certain point, they can no longer sign POAs, make changes to the will, sign a POLST etc. Don't ask me how I know, just trust me, you don't want to find out after they are incapacitated that you legally can't access their bank accounts to pay for care, re-register their car or even get their taxes done.
Watching your parents aging is tough. Doing it without the proper legal authority is crippling. I wish you nothing but the best in the future.

This is absolutely right, in more cases than you might think. I used to belong to a support group sponsored by the ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) Association for ALS patients, family members, survivors and medical providers. Even though ALS doesn't involve diminishing cognitive abilities, I advised our patients to execute these documents immediately while they were in good enough shape to come to the support group meetings and had 30 witnesses who could confirm that. My reasoning for doing this was even though the chances that any of our patients would be declared incompetent were very small, there was always the possibility of insinuations being made that the patient was so drained and enfeebled by his or her physical condition that the patient wasn't making making decisions that were as good as what he or she could have made. And that's where the lawyers might have to come in. Having all of this done in advance of the time of actual need prevents a whole flurry of documents being done at a time of crisis and to my mind helps head off challenges.

 

[BC38]

Straight from the AP today:
Gene Hackman died of heart disease, his wife died of hantavirus, authorities say | AP News

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Forensic experts came to a heartrending conclusion Friday about the manner of death for actor Gene Hackman: he died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease on an empty stomach a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease took the life of his wife at their home in Santa Fe.

The partially mummified remains of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb. 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police.

Authorities unraveled the mysterious circumstances and revealed that Arakawa likely died Feb. 11 at home from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.

Hackman, in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, apparently was unaware that his wife was dead.

“He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that’s what resulted in his death,” chief medical investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell said. “It’s quite possible he was not aware she was deceased.”

Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes.

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Arakawa’s last known outing was a round of errands and shopping Feb. 11. She visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to the couple’s gated neighborhood that evening.

Arakawa stopped answering emails that day. The couple’s cellphone communications have not yet been analyzed.
Hackman’s pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later, indicating an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said.

Hackman was found in the home’s entryway, and Arakawa was found in a bathroom. Their bodies were decomposing with some mummification, a consequence of body type and climate in Santa Fe’s especially dry air at an elevation of nearly 7,200 feet (2,200 meters).

The revelations about the manner of the couple’s deaths jolted Santa Fe, the state capital city known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors.

“All of us that knew him should have been checking on him,” said Stuart Ashman, co-owner of Artes de Cuba gallery, who cherished his encounters with Hackman at a local Pilates exercise studio. “I had no idea. ... It’s just really sad. And that she died a week before him. My God.”

Experts believe Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer’s disease and unable to deal with his wife’s death in the last week of his life — or seek help after she died.

RIP Mr. & Mrs. Hackman.