As carers, we don't need anyone imposing their judgment on us. We welcome those who offer #empathy and tangible support.
Authorities are awaiting necropsy results to determine how the couple’s kelpie mix died. Starvation could have been a cause of death but ofcls are still unsure, Phipps said, noting that dogs do not get sick from hantavirus. Zinna underwent a procedure on Feb 9, which could explain why the dog was in a crate…. The couple’s other 2 dogs were found alive & had been able to go in & out of the house through an open door, authorities said.
#GeneHackman #alzheimers #ElderCare
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/08/us/gene-hackman-wife-death-investigation/index.html
Gene Hackman’s cause of death revealed to be heart disease with his Alzheimer’s listed as a contributing factor. .
His wife (and caregiver) Betsy Arakawa, died of hantavirus a week prior. It’s a rare airborne illness spread through rodent feces.
Hackman was alone in the house for a week with his wife’s dead body.
We may never know exactly what happened in the days leading up to her death, but this is an important reminder that caregivers often need care themselves
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is more than a full time job, and it’s possible she didn’t get the timely medical care she needed because she was putting his needs before her own
Caregivers deserve to be recognized and supported, and they should always have respite care available
If you know someone providing full time care, reach out to them. Ask them how they’re doing or if you can support them in any way.
Even giving them an hour of rest and recovery can make a world of difference
https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/gene-hackman-death-update-1.7478165
My grandfather was a doctor & my grandmother was a nurse, so perhaps there was a false sense of security in that knowledge. Bottom line, memory affecting disease can seriously impact survival.
This is weird, until you learn Hackman had #Alzheimers.
Authorities revealed actor #GeneHackman died of heart disease & showed severe signs of Alzheimers a full week after his wife died of hantavirus.
Arakawa, 65, was found w/an open prescription bottle & pills scattered on the bathroom counter. Authorities linked her death to #hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Hackman, 95, was found in the mudroom. His death was tied to heart disease w/Alzheimer’s disease contributing.
@cindyweinstein +1
Not only that, it's been mentioned that there are many in DC circles who suspect that the orange turd felon #tRump had exhibited signs of #dementia thus he may in the future actually become a beneficiary of these lifesaving #Alzheimers research.
Likewise inert #Biden on the side of the brain dead #demoncrats...
Charles Pierce comments on Musk's firing of a tenth of workers at the NIH Center for Alzheimer's:
"I have no sympathy for all the Republicans who now express dismay over what is being done to millions of their constituents, who now express dismay that the federal grant money that enriched their home states' universities and who will continue to express this dismay as the assault continues, but who run like rabbits at the first sign of pushback."
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a63856368/trump-musk-nih-alzheimers-treatment/
Not all advice is of equal value. Seek others' wisdom but don't feel obliged to accept their opinions.
"Among those fired was its incoming director, a leading Alzheimer researcher known for her innovations in early detection of the disease."
#Musk #Trump #economy #TaxCuts #billionaires #SuperRich #EconomicElites #Alzheimers #healthcare #research #elderly
/3
"As President Donald Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk continue to gut life-saving government programs, one cut that garnered attention this week was the dismissal of one-tenth of workers at the National Institutes of Health’s Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias."
~ Brian Kaylor
#Musk #Trump #economy #TaxCuts #billionaires #SuperRich #EconomicElites #Alzheimers #healthcare #research #elderly
/2
https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/weekly-roundup-feb-21
A stunning piece of research:
"what could be one of the most definitive leads yet for a bacterial culprit behind Alzheimer's... comes from a somewhat unexpected quarter: gum disease.
"In a paper led by senior author Jan Potempa, a microbiologist from the University of Louisville, researchers reported the discovery of Porphyromonas gingivalis – the pathogen behind chronic periodontitis (aka gum disease) – in the brains of deceased Alzheimer's patients."
Worth reading, well written & accessible. May not be news to some dentists...
#PublicHealth
#Alzheimers
#research
#periodontitis
#GumDisease
#JanPotempa