Protecting Elderly Parents From Scams
The elderly, typically retired individuals, are considered at the maximum risk of being targeted by scammers who are on the lookout for easy yet lucrative pickings and profiting from cheating them. Most people in the U.S who are in this age bracket are either in nursing homes or live alone with infrequent visitation from their children and other family members. It is this isolation and disconnect from their loved ones, not to mention the age-related deterioration of their mental faculties that makes them increasingly vulnerable to scamming threats .
In order for their children to keep them safe from losing their entire life savings, their pension annuities and properties, the most important thing is to ensure that their self-esteem is not attacked in trying to explain to them the reasons why a particular financial decision is harmful for them. Parents of this age are often reluctant to ask their children for help, and perceive their interventions as an insult or an indication that they themselves are no longer capable of judging right from wrong .
Therefore, ensuring on-going, honest yet respectful communication is the first essential step. This ensures that children stay aware of what is happening in their parents’ lives, what new activities they may be involved in and the sudden, new, friends they make. Rather than keeping tabs on their daily routines, a close parent-child bond means that the parents’ first instinct will be to discuss and seek advice from them before making any major decision.
Also, if declining mental and/or physical health is a concern, then, it is important that appropriate legal precautions are taken, again without hurting their sense of self-worth . This would include: requesting parents to make you a co-signing authority on financial transactions beyond a certain limit; prior to any expensive or invasive medical procedures performed, your consent and presence is required. In extreme cases, if a parent is deemed to lack the mental faculties to make the right decision after evaluating pros and cons, then they must be removed as the discretionary decision makers from all legal paperwork that includes the right to mortgage/sell properties that are in their name.
Managing Parents Suffering From Alzheimer’s
Being a caregiver to a parent who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is a highly stressful responsibility that also involves huge investments of personal time, money and concern. It is crucial that children/caregivers understand the degenerative, mentally debilitating and complex nature of Alzheimer’s in order to effectively deal with the healthcare requirements of an ailing patient. Thus, disease awareness, the nature of its progression, as well as knowing behavioral changes that will occur, is considered important for affected elderly patients .
Some of the most explicit symptoms are increased agitation. They are often unable to stay calm and settled, are easily confused and then become flustered, and once the disease has progressed beyond the initial stages, aggressive behavior that includes verbal abuse directed at others and instances of physically harming themselves become common . Understanding and keeping an eye out for the triggers that cause this behavior often helps to preempt, or at least reduce the intensity of the aggression.
Since most patients get perturbed when there are changes in their daily chalked out routine, they see unfamiliar people around them or find themselves in strange surroundings, it is imperative that care is taken to ensure as much predictability as possible in their daily life. Not allowing your own impatience to show and holding back on your anger are crucial as well, because allaying their perceived or real fears in a reassuring voice goes a long way in helping them get settled again. If the cause of the outbursts is medical, then a new medication or treatment may be required .
Another common and slightly less treatable issue that surfaces is a drastic change in personality and behavior. This is a natural consequence once Alzheimer’s has taken root, since the disease directly attacks the brain cells and their reduced number over time causes a decline in mental faculties. Behavioral changes that caregivers have to deal with include severe depression, a lack of interest in hygiene and appearance, inability to find their way back home or even to their own room as well as hallucinations and feelings of paranoia. While caregivers can ask doctors to evaluate the mental condition of a patient and have medications prescribed in order to keep their behavior spikes in check, on an on-going, daily basis, it is important that caregivers give the patients a sense of comfort and convince them that they are safe and will not be hurt in any way . Using simple words and discussing ideas one at a time is crucial because complex information tends to overwhelm them. Often, asking for their help in routine tasks such as setting plates or listening to music together or reading, helps keep them engaged and less likely to get lost in the maze of mush that their brains are turning into .
References
Costa, S. (2015, August 7). Caring for a Parent With Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved from U.S News & World Report: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/08/07/caring-for-a-parent-with-alzheimers-disease
Moore, S. (2014, October 20). National Alzheimer’s council hears challenges of dementia caregivers . Retrieved from National Institute On Aging : https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/features/national-alzheimers-council-hears-challenges-dementia-caregivers
Varela, G. (2011). Alzheimer’s Care at Home: A focus on caregivers strain. HHS Public Access, 113-117.
