Woman with Alzheimer’s lives with husband’s dead body for 4 days

A 76 year old woman with Alzheimer’s was found in the company of her 86 year old husband who had been lying dead for four days at their house in the northeastern province of Bueng Kan. The old woman was unaware he was dead. It wasn’t until a friend took food to the couple’s house yesterday that they discovered the 86 year old, Kianghe Satjamankong, was dead.

The friend, 69 year old Pitak Aikaew, called for Kianghe to open the door but there was no reply. Driven by worry, Pitak decided to enter the premises, and to his shock, he found his friend’s body decomposing near the bathroom.

Pitak rushed to inform the neighbours and later reported the death to the police and rescue team. The neighbours informed Pitak that they had not seen Kianghe leave the house for a few days but did not check on him because he preferred his privacy to be respected and would complain if anyone stepped inside his premises.

A rescue team arrived at the house where they found Kianghe’s wife, 76 year old Somsi Thipma, sitting about 2 metres away from the dead body. She was reading a newspaper and did not know that her life partner had died.

A rescue team spokesperson reported that Kianghe had been dead for four days before the discovery. The rescue team questioned Somsi about Kianghe and she informed them that he was not home. Somsi said her husband was in the northern region of Thailand. She was home alone and already cooked food for herself.

On hearing her version of events, the rescue team urged neighbours to help Somsi until her children could be reached.

Pitak told officials that the couple had three children all of whom were working in different provinces. The couple lived on their own, and their neighbours supported them with food sometimes.

The district chief, 55 year old Tatcha On-krasin, reported to Channel 3 that Kianghe had several congenital diseases and was being treated at the Na Swan Hospital prior to his death. Somsi has hypertension and Alzheimer’s which likely contributed to her being unaware of her husband’s death.

Thacha stated that he had contacted their children and that the neighbours would take care of Somsri until they arrived.

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