It’s unclear why the woman behaved as she did, but she may have been dealing with some serious issues
However, the man was at the end of his wits. He and his wife tried seemingly everything they could think of. They spoke to the office managing the building. They talked to the police. They even tried to approach their neighbor, but she had an unusually sensitive reaction to this. Obviously, nobody should be scaring old ladies or people who need help with mental health issues. At the same time, just because someone is older does not automatically make them right. Not every complaint about excessive noise is valid. And if the complainer is unwilling or unable to talk things about with their neighbors, you’re essentially stuck.
Older buildings can let a lot of sound through because of thin walls, ceilings, and floors. So if you’re a person who is particularly sensitive to what your neighbors are doing throughout the day, you may want to invest in soundproofing your place.