Ten people found dead outside in NYC, including 90-year-old woman with dementia, amid frigid temperatures.
A 90-year-old woman with dementia, Doreen Ellis, was among at least ten people who died while being exposed to extreme cold in New York City since Saturday. The victims include men and women from Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Temperatures were in the low teens during a recent winter storm.
Ellis was found dead in the snow outside her Crown Heights apartment building after wandering out of her home despite having dementia. According to family members, she had previously gotten lost before but never ventured as far as this time. Her death highlights the vulnerability of older adults and those with underlying conditions who are at risk of hypothermia during extreme cold weather.
Outreach workers are focusing on a list of about 350 people known to have underlying conditions or higher risks in the cold, checking on them every two hours. However, critics say that decades of systemic failure, including distrust among homeless New Yorkers towards outreach services, cannot be rectified by temporary measures alone. They emphasize the need for permanent housing and trust rebuilding.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to look out for vulnerable neighbors amid warnings from medical examiners about several deaths linked to hypothermia. His administration has boosted homeless outreach, limited overnight hospital discharges, and opened warming centers across the city to help those exposed to extreme cold.
Ellis was described by family members as a pillar in her community who shared her first-floor apartment with her son and previously worked as a nurse. Her nephew said Ellis had dementia that could cause her to wander around the hallway before eventually getting outside. The mayor is urging New Yorkers to report anyone found unattended outdoors, warning them that cold exposure can be deadly.
A 90-year-old woman with dementia, Doreen Ellis, was among at least ten people who died while being exposed to extreme cold in New York City since Saturday. The victims include men and women from Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Temperatures were in the low teens during a recent winter storm.
Ellis was found dead in the snow outside her Crown Heights apartment building after wandering out of her home despite having dementia. According to family members, she had previously gotten lost before but never ventured as far as this time. Her death highlights the vulnerability of older adults and those with underlying conditions who are at risk of hypothermia during extreme cold weather.
Outreach workers are focusing on a list of about 350 people known to have underlying conditions or higher risks in the cold, checking on them every two hours. However, critics say that decades of systemic failure, including distrust among homeless New Yorkers towards outreach services, cannot be rectified by temporary measures alone. They emphasize the need for permanent housing and trust rebuilding.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to look out for vulnerable neighbors amid warnings from medical examiners about several deaths linked to hypothermia. His administration has boosted homeless outreach, limited overnight hospital discharges, and opened warming centers across the city to help those exposed to extreme cold.
Ellis was described by family members as a pillar in her community who shared her first-floor apartment with her son and previously worked as a nurse. Her nephew said Ellis had dementia that could cause her to wander around the hallway before eventually getting outside. The mayor is urging New Yorkers to report anyone found unattended outdoors, warning them that cold exposure can be deadly.
My heart goes out to Doreen Ellis and her family. This is just heartbreaking news 
. The fact that she wandered out of her apartment building despite having dementia is just devastating. It's like the chill in the air took away all reason from her. 
I feel so sorry for her son who had to find her body in the snow.
We need to make sure our elderly folks and those with underlying conditions have access to proper care and support. It's not just about temporary measures like outreach services; we need permanent solutions like affordable housing and trust rebuilding. 
It's up to us as a community to look out for each other, especially during these harsh winter months. 
this is so sad 
, govnt should do more for seniors & homeless ppl 
, not just temporary measures 
, need permanent housing & trust rebuilding 
just read about this super sad thing happening in NYC with all these people dying from hypothermia. it's crazy how some people with dementia got lost and ended up freezing to death. i mean, we know that old ppl are more vulnerable, but still... 
.
. It's just heartbreaking that people with dementia like her were being exposed to such harsh conditions, especially when they're already struggling with memory loss. We need more permanent solutions than just temporary warming centers, you know? Like, we should be working on building more affordable housing and trust-building programs for our homeless community 
.
. You're right though, it's not like a new thing to happen, sadly. Elderly folks and those with dementia are super vulnerable during extreme cold weather. It's all about permanent housing and trust rebuilding, imo 
. These warming centers sound great tho! But we need more than just temporary measures to fix this issue. NYC needs to prioritize its most vulnerable citizens, ASAP 
especially when it's -15°C outside and you have dementia 
. The mayor's warming centers are a good start, but what about long-term solutions? We need to trust our outreach services and support people who need help, not just talk about building more homes 
i mean i get it she had dementia and all but can't we do better to keep our seniors safe? especially when it comes to extreme cold temps? i'm so frustrated with the system right now... we need more than just temporary measures to fix this. like, what's the point of increasing outreach services if we're still gonna have ppl dying on the streets?! 
we need permanent housing and trust rebuilding ASAP! 
. It's not just the victims that need help, but their families too 
. The mayor's efforts to boost outreach services and open warming centers are a good start 
, but we really need more permanent solutions 
... like affordable housing and job training programs 
it's just not fair that some ppl can't even get to a warm place 2 escape the cold 
. I mean, I know we've had our fair share of harsh winters here in NYC, but 10 people? That's just awful. And to think one of them was a 90-year-old woman with dementia who couldn't even take care of herself in the first place... it breaks my heart 
she wandered out of her home despite having dementia... what's going on here? 
The system is failing these vulnerable ppl who can't take care of themselves 
. We need to do more to help people with dementia or other conditions, especially during extreme cold weather 
!
and the mayor thinks reporting a neighbor who's unattended outside is gonna solve the problem? come on, that's just a band-aid on a broken system. 350 people on a list of high-risk individuals doesn't even scratch the surface of the real issue here - permanent housing and trust rebuilding for those struggling on the streets. it's all about throwing money at symptoms rather than addressing the root cause...