PAX SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE GOES BERSERK AFTER BEING MEDICATED BY HIS WIFE; KICKING THE WALLS; ATTEMPTING TO OPEN A CABIN DOOR; CHOKING HIS WIFE. B767-300 FLT WAS 100 NM W OF LAX; DIVERTED TO AND LANDED AT LAX.

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I HEARD A FAINT PA BEING MADE. I CALLED TO AFT TO INQUIRE WHAT PA WAS REGARDING; AS THERE WAS NO TURB. INFORMED A PHYSICIAN WAS PAGED FOR AN ELDERLY MAN WHO WAS CHOKING SPOUSE; KICKING WALLS; TRYING TO OPEN DOOR 4R. I PAGED FOR A PHYSICIAN AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO ASSESS SIT. A PHYSICIAN DID RESPOND AS DID 3 NURSES; AN EMER ROOM RN AND A USAF COLONEL AND MAJOR; BOTH RN'S. THE COLONEL AND MAJOR AND MYSELF SUBDUED THE GENTLEMAN WHILE I ASKED HIS WIFE QUESTIONS. I CALLED FOR OXYGEN/MEDICAL KIT. THIS GENTLEMAN WANTED OFF THE ACFT ASAP. HIS WIFE TOLD ME SHE'D GIVEN HIM MEDICATION AND THAT HE WAS A PARKINSON'S/DEMENTIA SUFFERER. SHE THOUGHT THEY COULD HAVE 1 MORE VACATION. THE PHYSICIAN WANTED SOFT RESTRAINTS AND ADVISED WE LAND TO GET HIM TO A HOSPITAL. ALL WE HAD WERE HANDCUFFS/SECURITY TAPE; WHICH I FELT WOULD NOT DO. WE WERE 100 MI W OF LAX AND THE PHYSICIAN ADVISED US WE SHOULD GET HIM HOSPITALIZED ASAP. WE LANDED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY; AS OUR OPPORTUNITY WAS GREAT. THIS GENTLEMAN WAS UNCONSCIOUS AFTER WE WERE ABLE TO GET HIM INTO A SEAT AND GET OXYGEN IN HIM. THE 2 USAF RN'S AND PHYSICIAN STAYED WITH HIM THROUGHOUT LNDG. PARAMEDICS REMOVED HIM IN LAX. I BELIEVE THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT CABIN WOULD HAVE HAD AN EASIER TIME HAD THEY USED THE INTERPHONE TO CALL ME IMMEDIATELY. I WOULD HAVE MADE A PAGE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HEARD IMMEDIATELY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND REDIRECTED OTHER CREW MEMBERS TO HELP. I ADVISED THE CAPT BEFORE I WENT TO THE BACK BUT HAD I BEEN CALLED EARLIER; AGAIN THE COCKPIT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE LOOP AT LEAST 5 MINS EARLIER. TIME IS ESSENTIAL WHEN PLTS NEED TO MAKE A DECISION FOR A PRIORITY LNDG. THE WIFE (I BELIEVE) ACTUALLY OVERMEDICATED HER HUSBAND IF SHE REALLY GAVE HIM AS MUCH MEDICATION AT CLOSE INTERVALS AS SHE INDICATED TO ME. THE EMER ROOM RN WAS ALL FOR MEDICATING THIS GENTLEMAN. I BELIEVE THE PHYSICIAN (A CARDIOLOGIST) MADE THE RIGHT DECISION TO NOT MEDICATE GIVEN THE FACT THAT HE WAS UNSURE HOW MUCH MEDICATION OUR UNFORTUNATE GENTLEMAN HAD. I THINK TEAMWORK IS ESSENTIAL IN ANY SIT AND FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD NOT TRY TO HANDLE A SIT ALONE BUT IMMEDIATELY REQUEST HELP; EVEN TO TELL A PAX TO USE THE INTERPHONE OR COME FORWARD TO GET A CREW MEMBER. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH OR IF IT'S PART OF A DIVERSION/SABOTAGE THREAT. THIS CLRLY WAS NOT; BUT PROTOCOL IS PROTOCOL. I SPOKE TO MY CREW ABOUT HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN COORDINATED BETTER.