An elderly Augusta woman is dead and her son and his girlfriend are in jail on neglect charges, authorities said.
Mildred “Millie” Heid, 82, died this week after deputies found her living along Windsor Spring Road in a disgusting house, authorities said.
Charles Heid Jr., 56, and his girlfriend, Judy Lynne Brassell, 47, are both charged with neglect of an elderly person.
The victim literally went into cardiac arrest Tuesday afternoon while officers were conducting a welfare check. Heid eventually died after the couple insisted she had a “Do Not Resuscitate” order. Coroner Mark Bowen said the victim’s body has been taken to Atlanta for autopsy.
What officers found in the house: “Overfilled trash bags, wet floors, broken doors, urine-soaked linens, malnourished dogs. The animals were urinating and defecating throughout the house.”
Deputies also found the elderly woman bedridden and unable to respond to any questions, a report says. The victim had a severe case of bedsores and could barely breathe, a report says.
Officers called Gold Cross to respond to evaluate her condition to determine if she needed further medical treatment, but the couple insisted she had a DNR order, which was later confirmed.
But Hospice officials painted a picture of two uncaring people who let the elderly woman suffer and didn’t take the doctor’s advice on caring for her.
From a sheriff’s report: “I spoke with Shelly Herrick over the phone who stated she was the Hospice supervisor in charge of this case. Shelly stated her crew has had difficulties with taking care of Mildred because the family refuses to answer the door. Herrick stated they are dispatched to the house once a day seven days a week. Herrick stated her crew lately has only made successful contact about three times a week.”
Brassell told officers that she knew about the severe bedsores and was told to get a specialized air mattress. But she was only able to use a swimming pool floatation device to substitute it.
As for why Brassell didn’t answer the door for Hospice, she told deputies that “she has difficulty answering the door when she is in her bedroom.”
Both remained in the jail on Friday afternoon.
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