News outlets reported over the weekend that 98-year old Laura Lundquist faces a murder charge in the death of her 100-year-old nursing home roommate, Elizabeth Barrow. Lundquist is accused of strangling Barrow and then smothering her with a plastic bag. The alleged murderer has a history of dementia;  in fact, the district attorney and the defendant’s attorney filed a joint motion for a competency examination because of the Lundquist's dementia and own fear of being strangled.

            The Boston Herald.com reporter O’Ryan Johnson wrote: “Court papers paint a chilling picture: Before she was killed, Barrow complained to a nurse that Lundquist had put a table at the end of her bed blocking Barrow’s way to the bathroom, documents show. Over Lundquist’s objections, the nurse moved it. Barrow was last seen getting up to use the bathroom about 6 a.m. When the nurse arrived to wake her at 6:20 a.m., Barrow was dead and the table was back to the end of the bed. ‘The defendant harbored hostility . . . because she believed the victim was taking over the room,’ court papers say. ‘The defendant made statements prior to the victim’s death that she would get the victim’s bed by the window because she was going to outlive her.’ After Barrow’s death, the nursing home moved Lundquist to another room, where she saw a plastic bag and told her new roommate, ‘I hope I don’t have to use that,’ court records state. Lundquist was then taken to Norwood Hospital."

            This sad case unfortunately could happen again as the U.S. population ages and dementia becomes more prevalent. Many families who have a loved one with dementia have been surprised by the exhibition of sudden aggressive behaviors. The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation reported, “Someone afflicted with Alzheimer's may go through periods of swearing, screaming, throwing objects, resisting care, or attempting to hit others. Verbal assaults are more common than physical ones. Fortunately, such hostile behaviors are usually temporary. Disruptions commonly occur if a person with Alzheimer's feels their personal space has been invaded, for example, during dressing, bathing, or a doctor's appointment. It's important to understand that someone with Alzheimer's is more likely to misinterpret certain actions and respond aggressively. Aggression can also arise as a result of a physical illness such as constipation or infection, pain, depression or anxiety, or lack of sleep.”

            So what can you do to avoid a confrontation? Here are some suggestions:

Separate the Individuals – This, I believe, is where the Massachusetts nursing home failed. They should have found ways to separate the two, especially at night when the women were alone with each other. CNN reported, “District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter said Barrow repeatedly complained that Lundquist was making her life ‘a living hell’ in the weeks leading up to the woman's death, and that Lundquist remarked that she would outlive her roommate. A nursing home spokesman said the facility twice presented Barrow with the chance to change either rooms or roommates, but she declined each time. He compared the pair to ‘sisters,’ saying they took ‘daily walks together ... ate lunch together every day, and were heard at night saying, 'Good night, I love you,' to each other.’" Because dementia can cause such wide mood swings in a person, I think the nursing home staff misread Lundquist’s growing aggressiveness that Barrow. And based on my own experiences being at a nursing home with Mom, I would hypothesize that the nursing staff may have encouraged the pair’s closeness by seating the two together at lunch and having them take walks together. This closeness could also have been a result of staffing issues, especially if the same nurse’s aide was assigned to work with both Lundquist and Barrow.