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He went into a coma , he died from hypoglycemic brain damage. because she let him go back to sleep after medics brought him out of it first time. we dont know how long he was without oxygen and sugar to his brain because they went back to sleep. hes not a diabetic. and this isnt the first time its happemed . about a year or two ago he had a seizure because he took her metformin. which at that time my stepbrothers wife was the one setting his pills up for him.

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Condolences on the death of your father under such tragic circumstances.

Is there any question that his wife gave him the wrong med intentionally?

Accidents happen. One day many years ago I took my pills out of my purse and knew they weren't mine. I called home. "Have you already taken your pills today, Honey? Well be assured you aren't going to get pregnant today!" Neither of us were taking anything that would have seriously hurt the other, and we took some of the same supplements, so no harm done this time, but it was sure a warning! Even people who are normally very careful can make a mistake.

Was this an sad and tragic mistake? Or something more sinister?

Medics got him out of a coma but simply left him home? Did they inform your dad and his wife that he shouldn't go back to sleep for x hours? What is your dad's wife's health like? Should she have been able to stay awake and keep him awake? Something seems odd about the paramedic's role here.

This entire situation sounds most unfortunate. If you feel this was deliberate and if you have any evidence, then you should take this to the police.

But if his wife made a dreadful mistake (and the EMTs perhaps also made a mistake), then I'm not sure what purpose would be served by pursuing this. I would imagine that this mistake will haunt her the rest of her life as it is.

Again, condolences on this sad loss.
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Did he have access to their meds? Two times taking medicine he apparently didn't need suggests to me that he might not have realized what he was taking. Is there some issue of confusion or dementia?

After the medics treated him, was he taken to an ER?

It would help if you could provide more on each of these incidents so the details can be described more fully.
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If your mom had done it, would you still be asking the question?

If it makes you feel better, though, ask the police.
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Sorry, this doesn't make any sense why the EMT's didn't take your father to the hospital. There must be a back story to this.

Becky, we need more information. Such as how old was your father and what health issues did he have? Did he have memory issues? How old was your stepmom and what health issues did she have besides type 2 diabetes? Did she have memory issues?

What solid proof do you have that your stepmom did this? Photos, her saying she did this, etc? Another question, why would your stepmom want to do this?

Pills are easy to mix up especially if they are the same color and shape to other pills.
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FF, I had the same question. If he was in a coma, and the EMT's brought him out of it, the EMT's probably wanted to transport him to the ER. Once Dad was conscious they may have told him he should be seen in the ER. But like many elderly, he may very well have refused to go.
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This is uncommon. If it was Metformin, a good bit would have to be given to have such disastrous effects for a normal person. I am surprised that your father didn't get something sweet to eat to counteract any effect. I would expect this result if insulin was given. Do you know what type of pills and how many your father had?
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Only if someone goes to the police and files a complaint.
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The only way to know for sure is to have an autopsy performed. Science finds out the truth. It is against the law to give another prescribed medication without a doctor's order. If it can be proved he died with unprescribed drugs in his system, then you will have to prove she gave it to him.
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The E M Ts should have taken him to the hospital!😇
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I can just speak from personal experience.
My youngest daughter died under very questionable circumstances
What I finally did after getting the autopsy report & going over it with SEVERAL QUALIFIED PHYSICIANS, who all agreed that the initial autopsy showed no reason for her death, was to let it go....her body was dead & nothing would change that. I am also in the medial profession. Who we believe was involved with her death will have a BIGGER POWER to answer to than me.
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I'm sorry to hear about the loss, this was actually preventable by not giving those medications to anyone it was not prescribed for. Now to answer your question, actually, yes she definitely can get into very serious trouble especially now that medication killed someone. That's exactly why it's illegal to dispense prescribed medicine to anyone it's not prescribed for. When I used to take Tegretol for seizures years ago, there was even a warning label about it being illegal to dispense the medications to anyone other than to whom it's prescribed, and from what you describe, this is exactly why those labels were on those bottles. I really wouldn't be a bit surprised if the law went after her for murder since she broke the law and dispensed what turned out to be a very poisonous medication to have someone who happened to have a negative reaction to the point that they died. When a medication is prescribed for a patient, no one else is supposed to even touch that medication for the very reason that you're describing. I'm sorry to have to be so blunt about the truth, but this is very serious. The law is the law for a reason, and we are all under the same requirement to obey that law because consequences are serious. Age doesn't matter when the law is broken, the consequences are all the same, even when someone causes the death of another person through willful neglect. Again, this is exactly why it's illegal to dispense prescribed medications to someone else if it's not prescribed for them. Why do you think even the pharmacy workers must do a thorough check just to make sure that the medication is even safe for someone before they actually dispense it? When medications are prescribed for anyone, prescribers try to use the best care possible before prescribing. A very careful screening is done if that patient happens to be on other medications, because sometimes medications can counteract by causing negative chemical reactions with other medications. Another thing to watch out for is if someone happens to be allergic to any medication because sometimes an allergic reaction can be a fatal one. My guess is that either the person who died was seriously allergic to the medication, or that medication cause a very serious chemical reaction that killed him. He was also part to blame for this because he willfully took that medication that resulted in his death. This is why you never take a medication that's not prescribed for you, because it can actually kill you. It was very negligent of the person who gave the medication to this other person it was not prescribed for, but what was far worse is when he excepted it and basically killed himself by taking it. Anytime you dispense a medication that's prescribed only for you to someone else it's not prescribed for, that definitely spells trouble because you're putting someone else in grave danger. This is why prescribed medicine should be locked up and only dispensed to the person for whom it is prescribed. What is me and very expensive lesson learned, because now someone will be paying for a funeral.
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Sorry for the typo in my other post, what I was trying to say in the very and is "let this be a very expensive lesson learned."
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If you really suspect foul play and not just an accident, let the police sort it out. Bring it to their attention that it happened before. If step mom has memory or dementia issues she probably isn't responsible. If dad has memory or dementia issues, he could have taken them by accident. Let the police sort it out.
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I should clarify to remind everyone that the person asking the question mentioned that the pills were dispensed to someone they were not prescribed for. Dispensing any medication for someone for whom it was never prescribed is illegal because it has very serious consequences, especially if someone dies from it as with this particular case. This is why medications should always be locked up for the safety of others, (this is what lock boxes are for). When you have multiple people living in the same house, they very good practice would be to have lock boxes for each person living in that house when they happen to be on prescribed medications. That way no one can get into another person's medication without having the key to that person's lock box (where their medications should be kept). Even if a person lives alone, a lock box is a very good idea to keep medications and just in case someone comes in and visits. It's very good practice to keep prescribed medications locked up in some kind of safety box at all times and to never dispense medications for anyone it's not prescribed for.
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Becky, if you are still out there, please come back on-line to claify all the questions that we have.

We really need to know if your Step-Mom has any dementia herself and maybe she mixed up the pills accidentally.... or if she might had dropped the pill unknowing on the rug and your Dad saw it and swallowed it.

We also need to hear from you about "motive". Why would your Step-Mom do that, if in fact she actually did this to your Dad?

And why didn't the EMT's take your Dad to the hospital after getting him out of a coma? You Dad wouldn't have been in clear enough mind to say no or to sign a refusal paper presented by the EMT's.
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EMT's usually ask the person if they want to go to the hospital. In this case, the man was incoherent and could not answer. The EMT's should have taken him to the ER. In regard to the stepmom, worst case scenario =she did it; would it serve any purpose for her to go through the judicial system or should she be seen for mental issues?
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Not enough info given. How old were your parents then? Did dad ( or if he couldnt make decisions) mom, sign a paper refusing to go to ER. Did your mom give your dad the "pills" intentionally. What other medical problems did mom and dad have? Was memory an issue?
The fact that he had a seizure before taking metformin when sil was fixing the meds has nothing to do with the med. The entire situation sounds fishy. I suggest you get all the facts straight before accusing one or the other of inappropriate care.
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Yes, Private1, it is a very bad idea to give someone pills not prescribed for them, and it is even illegal.

The question is, was this a mistake? Are we sure that it was StepMom who gave the give, or did Dad take it himself, by mistake?

In my mind, if SM had intended to kill him she sure could have picked a more reliable way. And if that was her intention, why call 911?

But basically all we know for certain is that the OP has lost her father and is hurting right now. If she thinks there might have been deliberate foul play, she should go to the police.
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Waiting for the answer to the question previously asked, if it were you Mother and not your Step-Mother, would you be asking this? Three days after I purchased a new car my step daughter had a BOLO alert put out on me for fraudulently signing my husbands name, she thought she had me but the car was solely in my name. Fool me once, etc.
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I know my mom used to put her and my fathers pills in their individual pill cups before each meal. Dad with ALZ would often grab hers instead of his. We were able to catch this because several of us were around, but if they were the only 2 he could have done this by accident, before she could stop him. Accidents do happen, and not just to the elderly
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Pamzimmrrt, my parents still do the same thing... they use an old prescription bottle top as their pill cup and you would see a rainbow of different pills in there. And at times I would see an array of pills under the kitchen table that were accidentally dropped and not noticed.
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I think the OP has left the building.
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You would have to show absolute proof.
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very unfortunate happening, sorry for your loss. My mom and dad kept their pills in separate cupboards but even then (my dad with dementia) one day my dad actually hid my mothers diabetic meds but I found them for her 2 days later (after she told me). He had no recollection of every touching her meds. Like others said, without more info on the health issues of your father, maybe he mistakenly took them thinking they were his. but if a patient refuses to go to hospital, that is there choice. Not sure why the paramedics didn't get him transported first while they were working on him in ambulance. but that's past now. good luck
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