Gene Hackman dead at 95: Iconic actor and wife, 63, are found dead with their dog at Santa Fe home. #2

[IceIce9]

thank you for explaining some of these medical questions. especially with the pacemaker, its been helpful and filling in a lot of holes here.
Okay next question
how would they know the date the pacemaker stopped? would they have been able to tell that without physically removing the pacemaker (such as in an autopsy)

The data from a pacemaker can be retrieved electronically, no need to examine the actual pacemaker.

 

[IceIce9]

Would there not be some kind of last signal to report that its stopped working? Or at the very least would the Doctors system not notice no further signals are being received?

No, when a person dies a pacemaker does not send an alert. But the data can be electronically retrieved if there is reason to know time of death. Usually no reason to know though, but in this case it was.

 

[Quill]

I think this is an important article to read, whether it applies to the Hackmans’ situation or not. The prevalence of depression among caregivers is 41%, and women develop in more frequently than men. Periodically we get cases making us think about postpartum depression or caregiver’s depression or some other “silent” conditions.

Caregiver Depression: A Silent Health Crisis

www.caregiver.org

“211 is a free and confidential service that helps people across North America find the local resources they need. The Caregiver Outreach Program merges AARP caregiving team's expertise on the needs of caregivers with the United Way and 211 network of local resources, trained staff, and the infrastructure to deliver.” The number is 211 or 211.org website.

Great post.
Caring for the elderly is so much more complicated than I ever envisioned and I thought I was prepared for this. I can see how they become very stubborn in their ways and sometimes it is not logical. I can see how a once sharp, intelligent and capable person can become a person who makes illogical and dangerous decisions I can see how time and tech passes them by and renders them quite helpless and they are too prideful to admit it and ask for help. I can see how some care-givers allow some things that don't make sense to others because they are trying to pick their battles, manage a situation and also manage not only the elderly family member but OTHER family members. I can see the depression that comes with watching this all happen and feeling powerless to stop it or be allowed to help in ways that are needed. Reading the article posted upthread about Alicia Witt's parent's broke my heart. A few years ago I might have side-eyed her, but not today. Today I get it.

I can see how care-givers completely lose their sense of self and their "touchstone" with the outside world because that was me for the last year and a half.

I can also see how adult children do stop calling an elderly parent. No estrangement issues.I once talked to mine DAILY on the phone for at least an hour. When the hearing started to go, the calls got shorter. We no longer talk on the phone at all. Not my choice. Texting has replaced that as best it can. I have wondered if text records will show whether or not Gene's children texted with him. This is not just me, though. It has decreased or eliminated almost all phone calls with other family members when it was once a very regular thing, almost scheduled. Just my perspective on that aspect of this sad and mysterious case.

All of this said, it does make me wonder about a "perfect storm" type of scenario that might have been set in motion by some illogical event or choice that we may never know unless the tox reports or further forensics come back with something telling.

 

[IceIce9]

not all pacemakers do this.

All pacemakers now have PRM = Programming/Recording/Monitoring

 

[slowpoke]

Yep, I have seen lots of people saying he had dementia or something. I have seen nothing concrete to back that up. Pretty sure it's just people overhyping his age.

MOO, I don’t think it is unreasonable to wonder and question if he did, on this forum, especially. (“Dementia is particularly common among the oldest-old, afflicting almost 40% of individuals over 90.” LINK)

JMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Whether the pills or other drugs were a factor won’t be known until toxicology tests are completed in the coming weeks.

Carbon monoxide can be ruled out since it can dissipate from the environment but not from a body, renowned medical examiner Dr. Michael Baden said.

Gene Hackman and his wife tested negative for carbon monoxide, sheriff says

Authorities investigating the deaths of Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife are waiting for more details from their autopsies to determine why they died.

apnews.com

“It’s very difficult to put a timeline together even with the help of the office of the medical investigator,” Mendoza said. “Just based on their body and other evidence on the body, it looked — it appears [that they were deceased for] several days, even up to a couple of weeks."

Sheriff Reveals How Long He Thinks Gene Hackman and Wife Were Dead Before Their Bodies Were Discovered

Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza shared some insight into the possible timeline of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s deaths and the authorities' investigation on the 'Today' show on Friday, Feb. 28, after deputies found the couple deceased at their home two days prior along with one...

people.com

 

[ttjo]

GH talks about having " severe" angina 12-14 yrs prior to this interview from 2004
He did have angioplasty surgery. Maybe someone with some medical knowledge could say more about this or how it may have impacted his life later on.

 

[Rosydecember]

Possible Pacemaker Alert?

@IceIce9 Thanks for your post about pacemakers, apparently waaay more high tech than I imagined.

Wondering when Hackman's pacemaker was inserted.
If say, 30 yrs ago, would it have had that auto-alert feature? 20 yrs ago? 10 yrs? Or would pacemaker likely have been replaced?
How long is a mechanism's projected life expectancy?

Obvsly I know squat about this. Maybe less.

It would have been replaced at minimum twice. They last 5-10 years… my mom recently had hers replaced at 10 years. MOO

 

[IceIce9]

Possible Pacemaker Alert?

@IceIce9 Thanks for your post about pacemakers, apparently waaay more high tech than I imagined.

Wondering when Hackman's pacemaker was inserted.
If say, 30 yrs ago, would it have had that auto-alert feature? 20 yrs ago? 10 yrs? Or would pacemaker likely have been replaced?
How long is a mechanism's projected life expectancy?

Obvsly I know squat about this. Maybe less.

It would have been replaced, likely several times. The lifespan of a pacemaker is 5-10 years.

 

[IceIce9]

MOO, I don’t think it is unreasonable to wonder and question if he did, on this forum, especially. (“Dementia is particularly common among the oldest-old, afflicting almost 40% of individuals over 90.” LINK)

JMO

Also, the quote from the family friend who said his health had declined in recent months. We don’t know if it was a physical or mental decline, or both.

 

[Pseudonymph]

Here are the possibilities:
1) one of them died before the other for different reasons
2) they died at the same time from the same reason

We don’t have any idea why either one might have happened but I pick 1 due to the age and poor health of Gene Hackman. He could have died before or after his wife’s death due to that. Everything else is impossible to answer.

The dog has nothing to do with the reasons either of them died. It’s just a sad accident.

 

[NuttMegg]

MOO, I don’t think it is unreasonable to wonder and question if he did, on this forum, especially. (“Dementia is particularly common among the oldest-old, afflicting almost 40% of individuals over 90.” LINK)

JMO

What if he did? Are we going to look for his latest MRI?

 

[Really?]

I wonder who’s thyroid medication it was and when it was prescribed.

I am Betsy’s age. After being prescribed Levothyroxine for a borderline thyroid deficiency I can easily see how she ended up on the floor.
After my 4th day of taking the meds I woke up to go to the bathroom and wowza……no kidding I felt like I was walking in a fun house. Like the floor was being rocked side to side. On top of that my husband took my blood pressure and it was skyrocketing. I went to the ER and they got me right again. Scary stuff.

 

[ClearAhead]

Also, the quote from the family friend who said his health had declined in recent months. We don’t know if it was a physical or mental decline, or both.

True we don’t know, regardless even if he was still sharp as a tack, sadly mobility challenges due to age could’ve prevented him from seeking help. In this photo from a year ago he appears weak and quite frail and is he requiring more support than just a cane on one side. That’s not an judgement against him, fact is few 95 year olds remain totally spry and limber even if they manage to escape dementia. I’d say it doesn’t matter one way or another. Even if he practised Pilates and Yoga he may have done so with chair exercises, an available options for seniors.

JMO

Exposed: Wounds behind the rift between Gene Hackman and his children

Gene Hackman fell to the 'temptations' of 'money and recognition' and drifted apart from three children, Christopher, Leslie, and Elizabeth as he carved a name for himself in Hollywood.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[IceIce9]

What if he did? Are we going to look for his latest MRI?

Because if he did have dementia or memory loss, it could explain why if didn’t call 911 if he found his wife on the floor.

 

[priyaya]

I wonder who’s thyroid medication it was and when it was prescribed.

I am Betsy’s age. After being prescribed Levothyroxine for a borderline thyroid deficiency I can easily see how she ended up on the floor.
After my 4th day of taking the meds I woke up to go to the bathroom and wowza……no kidding I felt like I was walking in a fun house. Like the floor was being rocked side to side. On top of that my husband took my blood pressure and it was skyrocketing. I went to the ER and they got me right again. Scary stuff.

Just wanted to thank you for posting this. i was surprised to find out how prevalent thyroid issues are with women in particular at that age. i hadn't heard this information before about possible side effects. I'm glad your husband was there for you and i hope you were able to work out a better medication experience. that certainly is scary what you went through

 

[Cherwell]

Here are the possibilities:
1) one of them died before the other for different reasons
2) they died at the same time from the same reason

We don’t have any idea why either one might have happened but I pick 1 due to the age and poor health of Gene Hackman. He could have died before or after his wife’s death due to that. Everything else is impossible to answer.

The dog has nothing to do with the reasons either of them died. It’s just a sad accident.

I agree, it's option 1, and the dog died because neither of them were alive to let him/her out.

 

[priyaya]

True we don’t know, regardless even if he was still sharp as a tack, sadly mobility challenges due to age could’ve prevented him from seeking help. In this photo from a year ago it appears weak and quite frail and is he requiring more support than just a cane on one side. That’s not an judgement against him, fact is few 95 year olds remain totally spry and limber even if they manage to escape dementia. I’d say it doesn’t matter one way or another. Even if he practised Pilates and Yoga he may have done so with chair exercises, an available options for seniors.

JMO

Exposed: Wounds behind the rift between Gene Hackman and his children

Gene Hackman fell to the 'temptations' of 'money and recognition' and drifted apart from three children, Christopher, Leslie, and Elizabeth as he carved a name for himself in Hollywood.

www.dailymail.co.uk

View attachment 567483View attachment 567483

In regards to these photos i initially thought the same.
however other photos from the same day show him walking on his own in the same clothes even without the cane, albeit frail

Also this link contains a video of Gene spotted driving and ordering fast food in Mar 2023. he does seem healthy mentally too and still independent.
although the friends are saying the last year was a major decline

Reclusive Gene Hackman, 93, looks fit in first sighting in years

The two-time Oscar winner — who celebrated his 93rd birthday back in January — looked fit and healthy as he made a rare outing in New Mexico on Sunday.

nypost.com

 

[NuttMegg]

<modsnip - quoted post was not an approved source>
Anyone else remember the HOMELAND episode where they killed the vp remotely thru jacking up his pacemaker from his library, while he was at a party in another part of the house?

My SIL has her afib monitored from home. Straight to cardiologist's office. And that's just with medicare, but not even a pacemaker.

Even though he was wealthy, kinda seems like he wasn't being monitored. Maybe with BA being so much younger they used a home alert, an alarm which may have sent her to the meds before finding out exactly where he was.

 

[priyaya]

Anyone else remember the HOMELAND episode where they killed the vp remotely thru jacking up his pacemaker from his library, while he was at a party in another part of the house?

My SIL has her afib monitored from home. Straight to cardiologist's office. And that's just with medicare.

Even though he was wealthy, kinda seems like he wasn't being monitored. Maybe with BA being so much younger they used a home alert, an alarm which may have sent her to the meds before finding out exactly where he was.

This is why i dont think he had a major cardiac event but rather his heart just stopped.

but going along with the pacemaker questions this is what I'm gathering
the pacemaker would have been replaced every 5-10 years, so the one he had was up to date
the pacemaker last reported data on Feb 17th
the pacemaker didn't report an emergency event to send assistance at any point
the pacemaker had to still be working after death to report the data since it is electronically downloaded.
the pacemaker only detects a slow heartbeat and then sends electrical impulses to adjust it, if the heart stops for other reasons of death it simply just stops reporting