Stop Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Stop Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Alzheimers disease robs you of intellectual and social abilities and interferes with regular life. About 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimers Disease. The disease usually affects seniors over the age of 65. As the population ages this number is expected to quadruple.
There is no cure for Alzheimers disease. There is progress being made by researchers to improve the quality of life for those who have Alzheimers. Drugs are being discovered and studied which may lead to treatments of the disease.

If you have been a caretaker of a loved one with Alzheimers disease, or have a loved one suffering with it, you know that it takes patience and love to keep you and them going.

If you think a loved one may be showing early signs of Alzheimers Disease, what should you look for? One of the most prominent signs of Alzheimers Disease is forgetfulness. It starts out with occasional forgetting simple directions or recent events. It progressively gets worse until the patient may forget even family members names and objects they see every day. They also may repeat things they’ve already told someone, and put objects down and forget where they placed them. On the other hand, they might put something away so they will remember where they put it, and put it in such an illogical place that no one can find it.
Early Alzheimers Disease patients have trouble conducting conversation and finding the right words to say. They may have a hard time following conversations or expressing their feelings. Eventually their reading and writing ability will also be affected.

Abstract thinking is something else that these patients with Alzheimers disease have. They may suddenly be unable to deal with numbers, especially in balancing the checkbook. Disorientation causes them to lose track of time, and it is easier for them to get lost. They may feel they are in unfamiliar surroundings even if they are home.

They have trouble with everyday problems, such as knowing that food has been on the stove too long. Patients with Alzheimers disease eventually have problems dealing with planning, judgment, and decision-making. Familiar tasks become a struggle, even the basic activities like dressing or remembering to bathe.
One of the most distressing symptoms of Alzheimers disease is the personality changes that affect them. It is not uncommon for a patient with Alzheimers disease to have extreme mood swings and often accompanied by depression. They may begin distrusting those around them, be increasingly stubborn, and withdraw from family and friends. As their Alzheimers disease get progressively worse, they may become defiant, stubborn, aggressive, and take part in inappropriate behavior.

One report tells of a wonderful woman, whom was a good mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother that had been afflicted with Alzheimers disease. When her family was forced to put her in a nursing home due to the Alzheimers disease, she became aggressive to other patients and began using language she never would have dreamed of using before she fell victim to Alzheimers disease. The staff had a hard time in restraining her in the nursing home. They found she was sneaking in to other patient’s rooms, uncovering them, and leaving them. This was so unlike the mother and grandmother they knew before the affliction of Alzheimers disease, they had a hard time even visiting. Most of the time, she wouldn’t remember her daughter being there that morning. Finally, her family put an erasable board in her room so her visitors could write their name and the date they visited allowing the family to know who was there and when.

Unfortunately, families don’t often recognize the onset of Alzheimers disease because it starts out so slow. There usually are no sudden changes in the personality to alert family members there is a problem. As the symptoms gradually get worse, or they realize memory is fleeting for their loved one, they may not realize until the patient is far into the advanced stages of Alzheimers disease.

How Alzheimers disease progresses and what the average survival rate will be depends on the individual. The average survival rate is eight years. Some live fewer years, and some could live up to 20 years with the disease. People with Alzheimers disease eventually will no longer be able to take care of themselves. This leaves loved ones with the burden of deciding whether to place the patient in a long-term care facility or try to take care of them at home. It’s a difficult decision and everyone must realize that it takes considerable attention, love, and patience to deal with the problems that come with Alzheimers disease.

About the Author:
Steven Godlewski is a self-made millionaire and is currently working with Life Force International products. He has an extensive background in nutrition as well as other health related fields. For more health-related articles and a FREE bottle of Liquid Vitamins see their website at: http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/ SEE video at: http://www.emii-dcf.org/

Daughter Arrested for Elder Abuse

 Darlene Blair was found dead on her living-room floor around noon on Friday. Her daughter, Dana Blair was arrested for elder abuse.

The Kern County Sheriffs Department says they were called to the home at 1111 Dawn way in South Bakersfield after receiving a call from a medical unit that had been dispatched to the home for the death.

While medical crews were at the home a verbal argument broke out and they called deputies to assist.

Neighbors say they have called 911 numerous times and have witnessed Dana abusing her mother, "It all was bad, the black eyes, the bloody lips, the bruised ribs, everything, it was bad" said Jean Hodge, Blair's next door neighbor.


Copyright © 2008 Fisher Communications, Inc.



Abridged
SOURCE: The Bakersfield Now

Financial Assistance For Elderly Veterans and Their Widows is a Well Kept Secret

Ask an elderly Veteran if they are aware they may be eligible for a pension from the Veteran's Administration and they will tell you "I'm not eligible because I was not injured in the War." This is a common misconception which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they well earned by serving our country. The fact is elderly, disabled Veterans and their widows may very well qualify for large sums of money, but they have to apply for the funds. There are several Veteran pensions, but the pension designed to help elderly Veterans and Veteran's Widows pay for costly Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home fees (if the Veteran is not covered by Medicaid) is called Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance. The pension can pay a married Veteran up to $1,949.00 per month, an unmarried Veteran up to $1,644.00 per month and a Veteran's Widow can receive up to $1,056.00 per month. The amount one receives is based upon their medical expenses and their current financial and medical status. The pension is paid by check directly to the Veteran or Veteran's Widow every month as long as they meet the criteria.

The Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance is the government's best kept secret. I cannot tell you how many seniors have told me that they called Veterans Affairs and were actually told that this pension does not exist or that they do not qualify. For thirteen years, I have assisted Veterans and Veteran's Widows in obtaining these funds - they really do exist.

To get the maximum pension amount, a Veteran must qualify medically and financially and must have served their country for at least one day during "War Time". Also the Veteran must have been honorably discharged. Every case is considered individually. If a Veteran or Veteran's Widow feels they may qualify, they can apply for the pension. The pension can take many months to actually be approved. The average waiting period is three to eight months. The first check will be retroactive to the month the application arrived at the Veterans' Affairs, therefore the first check may be for thousands of dollars. Subsequent checks will arrive monthly for the approved amount. This pension money can mean the difference between affording adequate care for an aging Veteran/ Widow or having no care at all.

As with any governmental program, success is all in the paperwork. The pension application is many pages long and some of it is in essay form. It is the exact wording used in the essay areas that mean the difference between approval and denial. Also, Veteran's Affairs does not tell Veterans about all the supporting documents that they would like to see. The better the medical and financial records, the better the chances are of approval. Including the right medical forms signed by a doctor is very important for approval. Also typical of governmental red tape is the frustrating lack of communication. Once the application is filed and in the process of being reviewed, it is nearly impossible to get an update or check on the status of the application unless the Veteran/ Widow make the call themselves. For most of our clients, they are too ill or too confused to make a call like that. (continued at Elder-AbuseCa.com)

How to Protect Yourself From the Top 10 Frauds and Scams

How to Protect Yourself From the Top 10 Frauds and Scams

Elder Abuse: Vulnerable Seniors Part I

Can society confidently feel the elderly are properly nurtured in their most vulnerable stage of life? Today seniors who can no longer care for themselves are forced into unfavorable decisions to completely rely on others. When an elderly citizen is entirely reliant on a caregiver, an assisted living home, or a relative, the likeliness of abuse increases drastically. Consequently, “it is estimated that for every one case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect reported to authorities, about five more go unreported” (National Center on Elder Abuse). Elder abuse refers to a deliberate or negligent act against a vulnerable senior by any person that causes harm or risk of harm. There are several types of elder abuse including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, neglect and abandonment. Unfortunately most incidences of elder abuse go unnoticed for fear of punishment, lack of knowledge concerning proper treatment, or delayed investigations into allegations. Elder abuse is a severe problem that society must be knowledgeable about to recognize and prevent.

Society has several common misconceptions about elder abuse. Because there were not as many elderly in the past, families could manage the burden of aging parents financially and emotionally. Also, “The first research studies to document the abuse and neglect that older adults are experiencing in their homes in the United States began appearing in professional journals and monographs in 1978” (Elder Abuse and Neglect by Mary J. Quinn and Susan K. Tomita). Currently, when most think of elder abuse a picture comes to mind of an elderly woman alone in a nursing home or in their own home mistreated by her son or daughter. In actuality, elder abuse can be just as brutal as child abuse or spousal abuse. Elder abuse involves physical, psychological, financial, and sexual abuse and neglect. Physical abuse includes inflicting or threatening injury on an elder or depriving an elder of basic necessities. Physical abuse is the most commonly encountered form of elder abuse as it is the most easily recognized. In fact, the General Accounting Office in March of 2002 distributed a shocking report of the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse amongst elders. The statement also revealed not enough is being done to protect our loved ones. Some seniors have suffered severe enough beatings to cause bruising, bone fractures, welts, punctures, abrasions, scalding, and even burns. Emotional abuse concerns mental pain or suffering on a senior verbally or nonverbally. Devastatingly, “Psychological abuse in the form of aggression, humiliation, and intimidation is the most difficult to identify and quantify” (Mark Bradley “Elder Abuse” British Medical Journal). During sexual abuse elders receive non-consensual sexual contact. Some warning signs of sexual abuse include torn or stained undergarments, hickies, genital irritation or infection, and bruising or cuts in pubic area. It requires sophisticated skills to deal with the complexities of sexual abuse including psychological problems of the victim and punishment of the abuser most likely part of the staff. Sadly, the elderly are often exploited financially through illegal taking of money or property. Fiduciary abuse could deprive the victim of the ability to afford medical supplies. Research has discovered living alone or living without the support of family or community increases the risk of financial exploitation. Neglect consists of withholding food, protection, shelter or health care to a vulnerable elder. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, more than 550,000 persons, older than 60 years of age, experience abuse and neglect in domestic settings. Neglect might directly cause poor health due to dehydration or malnutrition or it might lead to delays in medical care or might even involve noncompliance with a prescription or health plan. Lastly, abandonment of an elderly is desertion by an individual who is responsible for the care of that person.

Most elderly adults cannot accurately identify abuse or know what to do if they feel abuse is present. In 2003 a study on the decision-making abilities of elderly adults in facilities regarding abuse, found 54% of those surveyed could accurately identify abuse and only 25% knew what strategies to use to handle such situations. In an interview with Lisa Young, a woman dealing with abuses to her elderly mother and her elderly mother- in-law, revealed why many keep their mouths shut to abuses. She claimed, “My mother has been horribly mistreated in facilities and by caregivers. Sometimes she will call me at night crying due to how she’s been handled but she is too afraid to cause tension. She worries that she would be treated even worse if she verbalizes her concerns.” Research has revealed approximately 84% of elder abuse incidents go unreported and over 5 million seniors experience abuse or neglect every year. As Lisa Young indicated an important reason for elderly not disclosing mistreatment includes fear of institutionalization, abandonment and repercussions. “According to one law enforcement official, family members are sometimes fearful that the resident will be asked to leave the home and are troubled by the prospect of finding a new place for the resident to live [if they report suspected abuses]” (Michael McCarthy “Report finds abuse in US nursing homes goes unreported and unpunished.” The Lancet). Additionally, staff members are reluctant to report learned or witnessed abuse due to fear of losing their jobs or facing retaliation from management and coworkers. Fear is a deadly factor when it comes to elder abuse. Abuse should never be the solution to any problem no matter how overburdened a relative is or how stressed a caregiver is or how understaffed a facility is. Abuse is a crime that is underreported in our society due to a lack of knowledge about the problem and how to fix it if abuse is occurring. The only way to prevent the high prevalence of elder abuse is to know how to spot it, how to report it, and then how to prevent the action from occurring again or to stop it from happening at all.

For more information about Elder Abuse, Nursing Home Neglect and Financial Exploitation, including state and local health care agencies, meal delivery, transportation information and other assistance programs serving elderly citizens and their families visit http://www.Elder-AbuseCa.com.

Author Breanna Danielle and Elder Abuse Organization are dedicated to the prevention of elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of senior through education and support of families and caregivers.

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