given the scenario i mentioned above, one could say that relatives should have intervened. however, elderly do not always give relatives a practical choice (at least until it is too late). to be effective, the relative or relatives need to be well enough off and within easy driving distance of the elderly in question. everyday life does not always allow such conditions.
also, santa fe is a tourist town and making a good living in the tourist industry for relatives is not always easy. people who choose to live in Santa Fe often choose it for privacy.
Hackman’s children said that she took very good care of him.
The medical examiner said that the type of Hanta virus she had contracted can take one to eight weeks after exposure to manifest; she probably didn’t what she had, thinking it was just some ‘flu.
He had three kids by Wife #1. They broke up and he married Wife #2, more than 30 years his junior. Wife #2 was probable the same age as his kids. I Imagine the kids were upset about dad treating mom like that I read there was some estrangement in the past.