Gene Hackman Died of Heart Disease and Alzheimer’s a Week After Betsy Arakawa; Wife’s Cause of Death Determined to Be Hantavirus
variety.com
Gene Hackman died of cardiovascular disease about a week after his wife died of hantavirus, according to the New Mexico medical examiner.

Gene Hackman, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, lived in the house with his dead wife for a week before he died.

Of the three dogs living in the house, one died because it was locked in a carrier and therefore probably starved to death. The two free-living dogs were the only ones to survive.

  • DokPsy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    432·
    3 days ago

    Not technically alone but if he had advanced enough in the disease, he would probably not notice that anything has happened…

    • meco03211@lemmy.worldEnglish
      62·
      2 days ago

      Or he found his wife dead multiple times and by the time he could get to a phone to call for help he’d forgotten why he needed the phone.

      • anomnom@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        35·
        2 days ago

        It would have been too advanced for him to think of the phone in the first place at that point.

        We’ve dealt with terminal Alzheimer’s in my family and it’s crazy that the only viable death is starvation/dehydration even in a care facility on hospice.

        One week would have been a huge relief compared to the years of wasting, basically forced eating, and decline that we had to witness with my MIL. She couldn’t even smile for the last year and a half or more. We need end of life laws and to respect DNR paperwork much more proactively.

      • DokPsy@lemmy.worldEnglish
        24·
        2 days ago

        I had thought of that possibility and decided to go with the happier option. I also don’t want to think too hard about the entire probable series of events. Surface level is sad enough