Weekly Newsletter:

June 18, 2025

Everyone’s Talking About It: The Hackman Story

Perhaps you heard about it. But then most of the folks reading our newsletter already know this story from their own day-to-day experience.  

And almost everyone knew Gene Hackman. A cultural Icon, as they say. He made 104 movies. Won 2 academy awards. “Considered one of the greatest actors of his generation and a paragon of the New Hollywood movement …” per Wikipedia!

Just a quick summary of this part of Gene Hackman’s story, in case you didn’t have time to catch it in the news: He was 95 when he passed. He had Alzheimer’s disease and lived with his wife and primary caregiver, Betsy Arakawa. To the great horror of the community where they lived and the world, when they heard, they were found dead by a worker on their property.  

Perhaps the saddest part of this story is that it takes a “newsworthy” moment like this to alert the media, and even medical professionals that this is going on for many people all over this country. Perhaps we should call it “the dilemma and tragedy" Long Term Care in the United States. It’s expensive, difficult, and important.

Back to “the story"—Gene’s wife was 65 years old and thought she was in good health. As we say, she was unexpectedly stricken with an illness caused by hantavirus. Mr. Hackman is understood to have “survived” his wife’s sudden passing for about 6 days. Six days where he was alone, frightened, and probably dying of dehydration.  

The “Journal of American Medical Association” advises physicians to think about these issues (very familiar to those who are currently caregivers) that impact caregivers and their loved ones…

Here’s some of what they wrote about this tragedy in their recent newsletter, May 2025: Though the Hackman's had substantial wealth and resources, they were not prepared for “complex and comorbid aging.” (Comorbid aging, in lay, everyday language, is all that can occur with aging. The slow but sure loss of strength, immunity from diseases, and many more “natural” processes of aging.)   

They go on…

•  “Concerns about leaving a loved one unattended, being perceived as a burden to friends or family, financial constraints, and/or emotional barriers, such as burnout and depression, may all lead to insidious self-neglect.”

• “Many older adults value privacy. Individuals may not feel comfortable allowing strangers into their home. Furthermore, they may not believe it is appropriate to share details of finances with medical professionals, and health care professionals may not feel such topics are within their scope of practice, missing opportunities for holistic advance care planning or referrals to support services.”  

Physicians are trying now (especially after this exposure in the news) to look at and address this major issue impacting their older patients.

The point here in this newsletter is to bring yet more attention to this:

1. “What is Long-Term Care (LTC)? Can you afford it when you or your loved one needs it?

2. Few people have Long-Term Care insurance to help pay for this care.

3. Does Medicare cover it? Sadly, no.  

4. Where, or in what setting, do people get LTC? — Nursing homes, assisted living, and at home, if they have a caregiver.

5. Many family caregivers do choose to do it themselves for their loved one (parent, spouse, friend)—but often at great cost to their own health and well-being.

As discussed in our webinar and newsletter from June 4th: There is support for long-term care from Medicaid. In California it is Medi-Cal.

1. In home assistance.

2. Long term care, end-of-life planning.

3. Respite care.

4. Durable Medical Equipment (DME) (e.g. grab bars, shower chairs, etc.) is covered. Medicare coverage for DME is very limited.

5. Nutrition counseling.

6. Assistance to access to food.

7. Day social and nursing programs for cognitively impaired individuals to get socialization while caregivers get respite.

And more…

Qualifying for Medi-Cal assistance:

This can be and often is time-consuming. But not impossible! It can take 3 months or more to complete paperwork and qualify for Medi-Cal coverage. For older adults who qualify for Medi-Cal — this is a secondary insurance. They cover co-payments after Medicare (as primary insurance). There is a similar arrangement with Kaiser if the recipient uses Kaiser coverage with their Medicare entitlement.

We advise folks to take “it one step at a time.” Keep a simple notebook of what you have done so far. With dates and important phone numbers. Not easy, but DOABLE.

Help for Caregivers: Resources for Your Loved One

Check out this link to our previous newsletter with very thorough coverage of this important resource and how to get it.

CA Seniors can apply for a long-term care Medicaid program online at Covered California, by calling 1-800-300-1506, or by contacting their local county Department of Social Services office.

— Susan Musicant, DPT

Injury Prevention Coordinator at DayBreak

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