80yr old Alzheimer's patient abandoned at KDEN

[Jimmy_Norton]

My wife and I are not having kids, by choice. In fact I got the snip snip to be sure of it. I always joke that I will die cold and alone someday, but someone said that there are plenty of people that have kids that end up dying cold and alone. This story is proof of it. So very sad.

 

[Pilot Fighter]

It is, but at the same time, I can imagine someone eventually losing it after having to all of a sudden babysit a entirely codependent adult who probably has no idea who you are - particularly if it becomes financially devastating as well. It’s the same for these parents who snap and smother with a pillow their severely austistic or otherwise utterly disabled kids. It’s absolutely awful, but I’d be lying if I said I could, in any way, imagine what that does to a person. Maybe this is simply a heartless and evil act, or perhaps the last act of a severely desparate and redourceless loved one.

Few folks talk about it but Alzheimer's can turn gentle loved-ones into dangerous monsters.

If my father assaulted my kids I'm not sure what I'd do, but it wouldn't happen again. Sexually inappropriate or even sexual assault is not uncommon.

I am sure there is another side to this story that is equally poignant.

 

[bimmerphile]

It takes a certain kind of mental fortitude to care for someone with alzheimers. Grandmother had it when I was younger, started with weird stuff like putting the mail in the fridge, the car keys in the flour jar and slowly descended into forgetting who her husband was in the middle of the night and the ensuing mess that comes with such panic. If you don't have the resources to put someone in a nursing home or pay for full time care, your family either has to spend their entire life now caring for you, or sell off their assets to pay for your care so they can somehow try to have a normal life. Either way, you still have to deal with the emotions that come with caring for someone that can get physically violent towards you and vicious with their words. This can drag on for years and years, which can financially ruin a person and the change their life forever.
It is a cruel disease and I have no memories of my grandmother other than while she was already gone. Since it's hereditary I'm basically watching my parents as they age to see if it starts creeping up. It's one of the major motivators to get to a career destination as soon as possible, since they are currently at the age where my grandmother got it and they are not very well off.

 

[gne in prog]

Few folks talk about it but Alzheimer's can turn gentle loved-ones into dangerous monsters.

If my father assaulted my kids I'm not sure what I'd do, but it wouldn't happen again. Sexually inappropriate or even sexual assault is not uncommon.

I am sure there is another side to this story that is equally poignant.

agreed, there might be a lot of backstory that isn't reported.

 

[USMCmech]

Few folks talk about it but Alzheimer's can turn gentle loved-ones into dangerous monsters.

... Sexually inappropriate or even sexual assault is not uncommon.

Downs syndrome or other mental handicapped teens and adults can be a similar danger. Teen girls need to be careful around a man with the hormones of a 35yo man and the intelligence and impulse control of a 8yo kid.

I grew up around special needs kids because my mom ran the program at my church. They were quick to separate any girl if one of the guys called her his "girlfriend". What she intended as harmless flirting or simple kindness, he could interpret as a sexual invitation.

 

[Richman]

Without condoning, caring for a seriously ill relative will drain you physically, emotionally and financially. It WILL put you into an early grave.

Most people think they can handle it. They can’t. It will be ruinous to your life the same way alcoholism or drugs will, it’s just on the opposite side of the ethical spectrum. But whether it’s addiction, a disease or a moral obligation, the result is the same. Not to sound uncaring or cruel, there’s more that just the direct impact on the caregivers, but the “opportunity cost” on their lives and the associated guilt is just as bad.

You’ve got to step up and make financial commitment, but like everything else where people realize that it’s something you can’t do without, the powers that be gouge the crap out of you. Even the insurance companies underestimated the costs, and long term policies put several insurance companies in the dirt.

Like mental health, there are no good solutions, only bad ones.

 

[manniax]

This is one of the most heartless acts that I have ever seen/ heard of. Sadly there are people on this earth with no morals, no values, no conscience and no compassion. I tried looking on line to see what has become of Mr. Ellingsen. He stayed in the hospital for 6 months and then was released. The hospital won't say to where. All of his relatives say they have no idea where he is. This is just unbelievable. I don't even know what happened to his little dog Corky who was apparently the only being on this entire planet who loved him. This is just so terribly wrong and so appalling.

According to one article I read, his wife did agree to take care of the dog, but not her husband. As none of his relatives were willing to take care of him, I would imagine he was transferred to a Medicaid nursing home. Really really sad situation. Having lost a parent to Alzheimer's, I know how hard it is dealing with someone in that situation, but this is something you just don't do to family.

 

[Adler]

Airline disputes family's account of metro Detroit woman left at O'Hare

American Airlines says closed-circuit television footage at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport shows a 67-year-old woman in a wheelchair wasn't apparently upset or left alone as long as her family claims.

American released a timeline that shows Olimpia Warsaw was alone 1 ¼ hours after her flight was canceled late Friday — during which time Warsaw twice used a walker to go outside to smoke.

Relatives have said they didn't know Warsaw was stranded until she failed to arrive in Detroit. American says the porter assigned to stay with her made a six-minute telephone call to Warsaw's son less than an hour after the flight was canceled.

Airline disputes family's account of metro Detroit woman left at O'Hare

 

[derg]

All I'll say is alzheimer's is a very evil disease. My wife and her mom have been dealing with it for years with my father in law. My wife grossed me out today with the daily story of the happenings of dealing with alzheimer's. I won't go into detail. Just hope you never have to deal with it.

My grandfather had it. Amma go ahead and presume it was a similar experience my brother had with him.