A South Carolina woman was arrested after she allegedly left her elderly husband with dementia home alone while she went out to dinner with friends, and he injured himself when he fell during her absence.
The North Charleston Police Department announced in a news release that Teresa Marie Mills has been accused of vulnerable adult abuse and vulnerable adult neglect following the incident with her 90-year-old husband.
Officers responded to the couple’s home around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, for a welfare check. Upon their arrival, the officers found the victim sitting alone on the porch as he looked disoriented and was unable to communicate. The victim was also bleeding and had other visible injuries, which led officers to call paramedics to the home to check on him.
The officers then walked up to the home, where they “detected a strong, overwhelming odor” even before they entered the residence.
“Officers described the home’s living conditions as deplorable, reporting feces and urine stains throughout the residence and signs of rodent activity, including boxes and other belongings that appeared to have been chewed,” authorities wrote in a release.
Mills, 66, explained to the officers that her husband had fallen the day before when she left him alone to get dinner with her friends. It is not currently clear how long the husband was alone before Mills returned home. She also admitted to authorities that she never called 911 or contacted a doctor despite being aware of his injuries.
She also shared that a caregiver reports to the home once a week to give her husband a bath.
After they spoke to Mills, officers placed the victim into emergency protective custody and paramedics transported him to a hospital for treatment. The current status of his health has not been shared.
Mills was then arrested and booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center. It appears she has since been released, as she was not listed as an inmate at the jail as of Tuesday, July 14.
It is not currently clear if Mills has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The North Charleston Police Department confirmed to Us that they have no additional updates to share in the case as of time of publication.
The investigation into the case remains ongoing. It has not yet been announced when Mills is expected to next appear in court regarding the charges.
If you are experiencing elder abuse or suspect someone you know is, you can call the Eldercare Locator at (800) 677-1116 and speak to a specially trained operator who can refer you to a local agency that can help. The Eldercare Locator accepts calls Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
