Gene Hackman
- Thread starter mvphilly
- Start date
This is the result of a breakdown in our society coupled with a failure of people to plan for the inevitable.
The harsh reality is, Mrs. Hackman failed to put any failsafes in place. Gene and the dog suffered greatly as a result. These were wealthy people, and there was absolutely no excuse. Shame on her.
An older female friend of mine discovered one of her friends had been passed out on her floor for at least 48 hrs. Miraculously after an extended hospitalization, she recovered.
I mentioned this in the other Hackman thread:
In December I had a CO scare/check. Turned out to be a bug that was dogging me. That said, being older, living alone with a pet I took it upon myself to find a daily “check in app”.
The app is called “Snug” and is free. You set the time and contacts to be texted if you fail to check in. Works like a charm and gives me peace of mind that if I croak in my sleep, Shelby (my beloved cat) will be cared for right away.
My brother just set this up, as he lives alone too. If you have loved ones that are elderly or folks who live alone, consider setting up a failsafe. This app is one option. We can’t do anything about Gene and his wife, but mourn their loss and pay our respects. But perhaps this tragedy can be a wake up call and save others from similar fate……
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Yeah, sad way to go.
They were captives of their own age and success in some ways.
Amazing they did not have a live-in assistant.
Sirhr
They were captives of their own age and success in some ways.
Amazing they did not have a live-in assistant.
Sirhr
Or even a bi-weekly assistant for crying out loud. Reverse these genders and see how people would feel.
People will give her a pass but this helps no one learn from this lesson. She dropped the ball big time. She was his caretaker and protector (as well as the dogs). At her age she should have planned better. She certainly had the means.
Seven days Gene languished in that house. God only knows the hell his Alzheimer ravished mind put him through. He had no food in his stomach according to the ME.
It is likely the dog starved to death slowly while crying out for Gene who was unable to help.
This was completely avoidable.
My thoughts exactly, especially with their money. Hard to blame the old man, he had advanced dementia and I'm sure had no idea what was going on.
I went through this with my parents, Mom had Alzheimer's, Dad in denial refused any help we put forth. The patient is the easy one, the loved ones around them thinking if they ignore what is actually happening vs planning and getting the needed assistance is where the battle lies.
My Dad passed away at 94 at home with my Mom. They lived in rural Maine, me in Wyoming.
When I felt the time was getting close, I had a talk with Mom about bringing in an RN who could administer appropriate drugs including morphine.
To her credit my Mom took this advise to heart and had everything in place. The nurse came over late at night to assist. Morphine was needed and Dad passed peacefully without pain.
Good to know. Living alone and with tit worthless neighbors, they'd find my mummified body months later.
I don't want my cat to suffer the same fate.
In 2023 I finally caught covid. Felt like a bad flu so I wasn’t to concerned. It was late at night and I was having trouble breathing. Concerning but not enough to seek medical attention. Vicks vapor rub under my nose was shockingly effective but I guess my blood O2 level was low. I got up sometime in the night to use the bathroom and sat down because I was wobbly.
Next thing I knew I was coming to, on the floor. Welp “I stood up too fast” I thought to myself. I thought I had only been down for a few seconds, so off to bed.
Only when I got up in the morning, did I see my face in the mirror and realize I had smashed it good on the way down, even chipping a tooth. I looked down and sure enough there was a dry pool of blood right by the edge of the open bathroom door. Face wounds bleed like a murder scene. Damn!
As I got cleaned up, I checked the bed for blood. Not a drop. So apparently I was down on the floor long enough for blood to completely dry. Must have been at least a couple hours there out cold on the floor in a pool of blood with questionable breathing.
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I've thought of this, thanks for the SNUG. 75 and I live alone except for dawg. I reckon she could eat me as long as I lasted, so she wouldnt starve, but water would be a problem.
What was really crazy is I missed a sharp old mica countertop corner by inches. That would have done some real damage.
I came to the conclusion that the bathroom is a common place for folks to pass out. It is arguably one of the most dangerous places to pass out.
This is where the new smart-watches come into their own. My understanding is that the Apple watches have fall detection and can alert someone or dial 911.
I’m not sure what other alerts can be set up but this might have alerted someone that Gene was in trouble.
I know someone that ironically was attending a funeral out of town. Got up to take a piss middle of the night and slipped on tile in bathroom. Hit his head and has been paralyzed from neck down. Been going on 2 years and he finally has minimal function in his hands.
I think of that often when I get out of the shower anymore with wet tile.
I think of that often when I get out of the shower anymore with wet tile.
Unfortunately I have found that rat poison will attract mice because it mimics food.
With hantavirus “my understanding” is that it is usually transmitted by someone disturbing mice droppings, so that the dust becomes airborne. The best mitigation is to wet the area down with a spray bottle. (preferably with a bleach or lysol solution) and wear a dust mask.
UV kills hantavirus:
Exposure to sunlight, specifically the ultraviolet (UV) rays, can kill hantaviruses, making it a useful method for disinfecting items that cannot be cleaned with disinfectants or thrown away.
Here are some links to more info:
Hantavirus Prevention
How to clean up after pet rodents and safely clean up after infestations.
www.cdc.gov
Yes, they have fall detection and can call for help. Works well.
My wife, an NP, says the story behind the wife's death doesn't pass the smell test. She read that on the supposed day of her death, she was seen out doing errands. Someone at the stage of that disease which would cause death on that day, would not have been out doing errands.
I don't know what to think
Yea the conspiracy theories are afoot. Covid certainly has exacerbated our distrust in the medical community. I certainly am guilty of becoming more of a conspiracy theorist as I’ve aged. I always advise people when exploring conspiracy theories make Occam’s Razor your home. Come back there, then reach out for alternative explanations.
I believe Mrs. Hackman was Japanese. I was married to a Japanese woman. An older Japanese women with a history of being a recluse would be top on my list of someone to ”tough” a serious illness out, until too late.
“Without adequate treatment, most deaths occur in patients with HPS within 24 to 48 hours of the cardiopulmonary phase onset.”
Clinician Brief: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
Clinical information about HPS, a severe disease that affects the lungs.
www.cdc.gov
People do seem to be putting a lot of stock on this timeline, but I’m not convinced it’s as precise as people may think it is. Based on what little I know here it seems like this could be a moving target of 24 to 48 hours forward from when she was last seen. https://www.ketk.com/news/national/...-betsy-arakawa-died-at-their-new-mexico-home/
Since moving to Colorado in 1998 and subsequently to Wyoming I have read about several hantavirus deaths. They all are consistent with this story. They all were exposed to very common rodents doing a seemingly benign tasks.
I ran across this while looking for something else. I thought... "Well this is awkward and unfortunate."
(Im may have offended myself!)
(Im may have offended myself!)
Great acting job again by him. In a way , you could say it's some foreshadowing of his end. Still, terrible the way life came to an end for him.
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