For anyone who has a family member suffering from dementia, a legal framework could prevent undue stress or even prevent a tragic death.
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease and complications from Alzheimer’s disease one week after his wife and caretaker, Betsy Arakawa, died from a rare hantavirus, forensic experts said. It took days for the couple’s bodies to be discovered.
For anyone who has a family member suffering from dementia, even one with a full-time, live-in partner and caretaker like Hackman, there are reminders of the care both need. A legal framework could prevent undue stress for families and their ailing loved ones; it could even prevent a tragic death.
In the case of Hackman’s death, the glaring oversight seems to be a lack of regular wellness checks.
“What struck me was [that] there wasn’t a backup in place that allowed for some third party outside of the home to make sure that these vulnerable adults were being cared for,” said Julie Christopher, a family law attorney at Stein Sperling, based in Rockville, Maryland.
