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.
While conversations about dementia care can be uncomfortable for families, she suggests a detailed plan.
A conservatorship outlines a court-appointed guardian to manage a person’s affairs, but if Arakawa was Hackman’s conservator, her death left him without immediate care. Arranging a medical proxy, who makes medical decisions on someone’s behalf, allows families to also name a co-proxy, or an alternate decision-maker.
A broad legal dementia plan can outline who steps in if a primary caregiver dies or becomes incapacitated. According to Christopher, it’s a critical — but often overlooked — legal tool.
Dementia plans are legally recognized in most states, and often include caregivers assigned to check on patients regularly.
“Wellness checks are really structured plans to lay out how to ensure a vulnerable adult doesn’t slip through the cracks,” Christopher said. “It can include professional nurse care managers, social workers, neighbors, even church members.”
Wellness checks do not require a legal framework or family involvement, either. It is one of the responsibilities of your local department of aging to respond to concerns.
“If there is a neighbor or someone you haven’t seen, then that is a service that every county and every state has,” Christopher said. “You can reach out. They are charged with checking on vulnerable adults. You can call them and they will go out, and they have the resources to make sure that vulnerable adult gets the care that they need.”
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