Manitoba man with Alzheimer’s arrested for violence

NEWS: An article in the Canadian Press — tells the story of a 69 year old man with Alzheimer’s  in Winnipeg who has been jailed for violence twice in recent history.

Last fall he assaulted his wife and was arrested, even though he was confused and didn’t recognize her. More recently he assaulted another person who lived at the  same “care home,” where he had been moved.

“Joe has no recollection of this,” a spokesman, David Shorr said. “He was interviewed by police and he actually thought he worked at the home. His mental state has deteriorated quite a bit since his previous arrest.”

“His family is expressing their sincere concern for the well-being of the individual who is in hospital as a result of this alleged assault.”

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority moved quickly to assess McLeod’s condition and got him into an emergency placement at a personal care home.

“The health authority said at the time it would work with the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, Winnipeg police and the provincial Justice Department to “establish better protocols for dealing with such situations.”

But Shorr said the Manitoba government has not been doing a good enough job in ensuring there is proper care for Alzheimer’s patients, some of whom may exhibit aggression or even violent behaviour.

“This government has no strategy for dealing with a rapidly aging population and the challenges pertaining to Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Shorr, who noted that before he became ill, McLeod had no criminal record and no history of abuse or violence.”
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This story is a sad example of what can happen if he person with late stage Alzheimer’s isn’t cared for and watched properly.

Then, it’s quite appalling to hear that he actually went to jail.

This presents even more questions for our own cities. Would Police arrest our loved one or take them to a hospital if such a thing happened in our hometown.
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