Woman charged after leaving husband with dementia home alone

South Carolina woman has been charged after police alleged she left her 90-year-old husband, who has dementia, alone at their home while she went out to dinner with friends, leading to injuries and the discovery of what officers described as unsanitary living conditions.

Authorities said Teresa Marie Mills faces charges of vulnerable adult abuse and vulnerable adult neglect following the incident in North Charleston. The elderly man was taken to hospital for treatment after officers found him injured and disoriented.

Police find elderly man injured outside home

According to the North Charleston Police Department, officers responded to a welfare check at a home on North Kentwood Drive on Sunday evening.

Police said they found the 90-year-old man sitting alone on the porch, appearing disoriented and unable to communicate. He was reportedly bleeding and had sustained other injuries, prompting officers to call paramedics.

Investigators alleged Mills later admitted her husband had fallen the previous day after she left him home alone to have dinner with friends. Police said she did not seek medical help after returning home despite noticing his injuries.

Officers describe home as unsanitary

Police said officers noticed a strong odour before entering the residence.

According to investigators, the home contained urine and faeces stains throughout, along with signs of rodent activity, including belongings that appeared to have been chewed.

Mills reportedly told officers that a caregiver visits the home once a week to bathe her husband.

Victim placed into protective custody

Authorities said the elderly man was placed into emergency protective custody before being transported to hospital for medical treatment.

Mills was arrested and booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center on charges of vulnerable adult abuse and vulnerable adult neglect. Information about her next court appearance was not immediately available.