Families dealing with dementia don't ordinarily have to deal with a family shooting. However, with 50 percent of all 80-somethings found to be suffering from congnitive impairment, we need to consider all consequences of this devastating disease. Dementia in America is a growing epidemic, as the population ages. We need more solutions to assist caregivers of dementia patients.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41713763

Elder deaths caused by abuse are routinely overlooked and most likely termed as "death by natural cause." An elder death review team would investigate all suspicious deaths to determine if cause of death is homocide from abuse.

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/05/133476533/autopsy-cutbacks-reveal-gray-homicides

This is the newest addition to the TVAC Website check back soon as we continue to ad posts.

Limited mobility to look both ways increase odds, by 8 percent each year after age 65, of elders causing a left turn accident. Elders need access to public transportation for self - independence and community safety.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/elderly-drivers-pushed-off-road/story?id=11583601

http://www.wsmv.com/news/26797920/detail.html

It's a familiar site everywhere. Purses plopped down in the grocery cart, and left unattended for just a few seconds while you talk to a friendly shopper. That's enough time for a professional thief to slip in and steal your wallet. Always keep your money secure while out in public. Not all friendly people want to be your friend. Some just want your money.

http://www.wftv.com/news/26824923/detail.html

Elderly, blind or disabled Tennesseans, who have high, unpaid medical bills, have the opportunity to apply for TennCare assistance during a special open enrollment period, beginning February 22.

The only way to apply for the program is to call the special phone-in line at 1-866-358-3230, from 6 p.m-8:30 p.m. The line will be open each subsequent weekday, during this time period, until a maximum of 2,500 applications are taken.

For more information on the TennCare Standard Spend-Down and eligibility, go to www.tn.gov/TennCare.

The stepson of veteran actor Mickey Rooney "threatens, intimidates, bullies and harasses" the Andy Hardy star, keeping him a prisoner in his own home, a lawsuit alleges.

The most likely perpetrator of elder abuse is a family member or caregiver. As persons get older and more vulnerable, family members must step in to assist. If there are unresolved issues between the family member and vulnerable adult, the pressures of caring for the elder simply increases the tensions, no matter how rich or famous you are. Elder abuse crosses all socio and economic boundaries. It could happen to you.

Know your family situation and make plans for your future. Who do you want caring for you in your twilight years?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41609446/ns/today-entertainment/

Mickey Rooney, at 90 and described as mentally sharp, accuses his stepson of financial exploitation, intimidation, neglect and being held a prisoner in his own home. A temporary conservator was appointed to manage the Andy Hardy star's affairs during the litigation. Rooney alleges that stepson Chris Aber bullies and harrasses him and has taken control of his finances.

So, if the beloved actor, who still makes public appearances, can be abused and exploited, behind closed doors, what does that say about the the safety and financial independence of millions of elders in this country?

"All I want to do is live a peaceful life, to regain my life and be happy," Rooney wrote in a statement to his fans. "I pray to God each day to protect us, help us endure, and guide those other senior citizens who are also suffering."

We hear you, Mickey.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/ktla-mickey-rooney-court-protection-stepson,0,3091099.story

It's an upclose and personal version of the "Lonely Hearts" scam. A young woman befriends elderly men then turns the relationship into a nightmare for money.

Colleen Zandt is accused of storming into the home of one of her "friends" and assaulting him for cash in the house. Zandt has also threatened another "friend", stating if she did not get money, he would be beaten by a man waiting outside.

Elders are targeted for robbery because they have money and are less able to defend themselves.

Be aware of the scam and don't fool yourself. Some people just want your money.

http://www.wsmv.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks={videoid:4542425}

Funding includes $21.5 million for elder rights and elder justice, including $16.5 million for state Adlt Protective Services and $5 million for improved Long Term Care Ombudsman programs, to protect our most vulnerable in nursing homes.

There is also a request for an additional $95.5 million for caregiver support and home and community based services. With 10,000 baby boomers turning 65, every day for the next 18 years, caregiver support will be vital for families who want to keep elders at home.

The aging tsunami is here. Legislators need to address it with funding.

http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/About/Budget/DOCS/FY_2012_AoA_Budget_Statement.pdf

Veteran's Aid and Attendance is a program to help veteran's or spouse stay in the home, if they are low income or have high unpaid medical bills. You contact your local Veteran service officer, who can assist filling out the form, at no cost to you.

Person's who charge for this service, are scamming veterans and their families. The veteran in the attached story, was charged $10,000 for assistance in filling out the form and setting up an irrevocable trust.

"There should be no fee for assisting veterans. What people do, though, is sell certain products to veterans and have them move assets around and make money off of that. But there is really no reason to do that because County Veterans Services and national service organizations provide the same service at no cost to veterans and family members," said Michael Hoffschneider from the Contra Costa County Veterans Service Office, in California.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=7961623

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=7961623

Elder care homes are touted as keeping elders in a low-cost homelike setting, with a caring staff who acts like an extended family.

The care home in the attached story, does not meet this standard. Care homes are not the answer in the long term care continum, if there is not adequate monitoring.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/435537_ulcers15.html

Memphis is named the "hunger capital" of the United States. Tennessee is fourth in the nation with the highest food hardships. Families and seniors are struggling to put food on the table.

The number of older Americans at risk for hunger rose by 20 percent from 2001 to 2007. Hunger is a sign of self-neglect, which is the most common form of abuse reported to Adult Protective Services. Needy seniors must choose between buying medicine, feeding themselves and providing for companion pets. Too often, there is no budget for food.

On March 4-6, AARP volunteers in Knoxville will collect donations for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee at the Women s Today Expo sponsored by the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Help feed East Tennesseans, where one in six go hungry each night.

http://www.aarp.org/giving-back/charitable-giving/info-02-2011/aarp_and_jeff_gordon_tn.html

Tom Scroggins' name does not appear on Tennessee's Abuse Registry or Sex Offender Registry. His name doesn't appear on Georgia's Sex Offender Registry. Georgia doesn't have an Abuse Registry, so we don't know if his name would have appeared on that.

What we do know is that Tom Scroggins was a home health worker when he allegedly sexually assaulted and sodomized his 81-year-old charge, who was a Korean War veteran, former prisoner of war and former assistant fire chief. He is indicted on nine counts of abuse and he still has a clean bill of health on the state registries.

Abuse and financial exploitation of the elderly are crimes of opportunity. People who may have never done these things before, are placed in control of vulnerable adults and can't resist the opportunity to abuse or financially exploit. Registries are great to warn people after a conviction, but how do we determine who has the propensity to abuse our most vulnerable citizens, before it happens? How can we better select home health workers to care for our elderly?

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/abused-998772-elderly-allegedly.html

You've seen it a hundred times in wildlife documentaries. The predator is off in the distance, surveying his prey. He targets the old and disabled, beause they can't defend themselves against a determined predator. He moves in for the kill.

This is what is happening to the elderly in shopping centers around the country. They are targeted, because of their perceived weakness, and attacked and robbed. The two attached stories from Tennessee, detail how the elderly were attacked in parking lots. The California story warns of a predator that follows the elderly home and robs them in their own driveway.

Seniors, please be aware that your age and physical condition could make you a robbery target. If you are shopping alone, don't be shy about asking for an escort to your car. If you suspect someone is following you home, stop at a public place (with locked doors) and call the police. It's better to be safe than someone's victim.

http://www.wsmv.com/news/26605783/detail.html

http://www.wsmv.com/news/26258574/detail.html

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=7971931

An 80- something father told his 60-something son that he was giving up his driver's license. His reason? "I can't hear them coming any more."

"Dad," the son replied. "What's wrong with seeing them?"

"Oh, son, I haven't been able to see them for a long time."

After the son recovered from the shock that his father has been driving around town, without the ability to see oncoming traffic, he reached over and took the keys.

Nobody wants to admit problems, especially if it involved their ability to drive. Nobody wants to give up their keys of freedom and independence, which is what driving represents.

However, aging brings on loss of senses, such as hearing and vision, important assets to a driver. Aging diseases, such as Alzhiemer's and dementia bring on memory loss and confusion, a huge problem when it hits a driver behind the wheel. Aging brings on mobility issues, which affect a driver's ability to look around and respond in a timely manner.

It's natural that the senior will be defensive when approached about his driving skills. But, as the ABC story shows, a trip to the doctor may help a senior's ability to drive by adjusting medications. Mapping destinations which only require right turns is another solution.

Alzhiemer's Disease and dementia are two other matters all together. How long do you let your loved one drive alone, knowing he has memory loss? How do you take the keys from someone who doesn't realize he is the problem? It's tough. And it's never easy.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/families-brink-elderly-driving-12806005

http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=158381

http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/older-drivers-elderly-driving-seniors-at-the-wheel.html

Threatened and intimidated, Mickey Rooney says his says his step-son withheld food and medicine and would not let him leave. Abuse is a secret, best served in isolation, making it impossible for the victim to tell. When the victim has opportunity, he is stopped by the perpetrators intimidation and threats.

But the secret got out. Mickey told. He told of the abuse and got help.

Yesterday, the court in this case extended the restraining order and continued the conservator for Mickey's finances. If Mickey wants the restraining order extended to a year, he will have to appear in court, April 5 and tell.

He will have practiced by then, for next week, Mickey will testify before a Senate committee on elder abuse. He will tell his story for the one in ten seniors who say they have experienced some form of abuse.

Mickey will tell his story for the more than four out of five victims who don't tell that they are being abused.

If you know of abuse, tell. It's the only way a victim can get help. Click here for a directory of state helplines, hotlines and elder abuse resources. http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/Find_Help/State_Resources.aspx

A kicking and screaming child in the throes of a temper tantrum is ugly. A kicking and screaming adult in the throes of a temper tantrum is abuse.

Adult tantrums are triggered some infraction of rigid "life rules" imposed self-centered children. So when the rules change without notice, the tantrum begins.

Adult children who live on their disabled parent's checks, have a lot more to prove, which increases the liklihood of tantrums.

The mother's infraction, in the attached story, was tossing a filling left by the sink. The ensuing tantrum, resulted in her son, pushing his fist down his mother's throat and yanking out her dentures. Mom put him in time-out: jail. He pleaded guilty and ordered to complete a batterers intervention program, community service and probation.

Temper tantrums deserve consequences. Don't be afraid to dole them out to your adult child. Don't be a victim of abuse.

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/national/drag-queen-steals-disabled-moms-teeth

Q: What is the worst thing an emergency doctor can tell you after admitting your MIL?

A: Sir, we were able to save her!

A Toronto woman is hoping the doctor can save her mother-in-law, who who was found unconsious and suffering from frostbite, in the uninsulated garage where she was forced to live.

Tensions between mothers, sons and daughters-in-laws are inevitable. And when the mother becomes unable to care for herself and relies on the son for help, the conflict will only increase, without proper planning. Placing them in an uninsulated garage, or any other make-shift residence, without proper heat, bedding and access to a proper bathroom, is abuse.

If you know you don't get along with your in-laws, learn about elder housing options now, before they become dependent and move into your home. Don't become a perpetrator of abuse. Don't let your in-law become your victim.

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/information_for_senior_citizens

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/couple-accused-of-elder-abuse-after-woman-found-near-death-in-frigid-garage/article1923491/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=1923491

When Florida Governor Rick Scott dismissed the state long term care ombudsman, the top advocate for nursing facility residents, he sent a message loud and clear: "I don't care about you."

Residents in nursing facilities don't have PACs to contibute to favored candidates. They don't have paid lobbyists to wine and dine legislators. All they have is the state long-term care Ombudsman to advocate for their rights and needs.

A long-term care Ombudsman, who is independent and free from interference and reprisal can push back against ineffective NF workers, operators and government to get our most vulnerable citizens the quality of life they deserve.

A long-term care Ombudsman, who fears reprisal, is reduced to a friendly visitor to the nursing home resident. He is nice to talk with, but cannot be relied upon to advocate when bed sores develop because of inattentive staff.

He can't be relied upon to advocate for residents who taken out of their beds at 3 a.m. and put in wheelchairs, for the day, beause the staff is required to have a certain percentage of patients up and ready by 7 a.m.

He can't be relied on to advocate for residents who must sit in their own waste for hours, because the nursing facility is not fully staffed.

Ombudsman must be independent and have the ability to work without interference from anyone. The NF residents depend on it. In due time, YOU may depend on it.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-state-ombudsman-firing-20110226,0,6912440.story?page=1

Entertainment legend, Mickey Rooney will testify to the emotional and financial abuse that he has suffered through his golden years, before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, today at 2 p.m.

Rooney alleges that his stepso, Chris Aber, spent down an account, which once held $400,000, to $1200. Rooney says the money was not given to him or used for his benefit.

He also alleges that Aber took control of Rooney's finances and public appearances, then bullied and harassed him and deprived him of food and medicine.

Also scheduled to testify are:

Kay Brown, Director of the Education, Workforce and Income Security program at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will also unveil a new GAO report, detailing the existing estimates of elder abuse cases now being reported and will discuss the financial impact of elder abuse on state and federal government resources. Brown will be joined by Kathleen Quinn, National Adult Protective Services Association; Dr. Mark Lachs, Weill Medical College of Cornell University; Bonnie Brandl, National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life; and Marie-Therese Connolly, Director, Life Long Justice (LLJ) (an initiative of Appleseed), and Senior Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

To view Rooney's testimony during the senate webcast, click on www.aging.senate.gov

Exploited and manipulated by family members, Mickey Rooney lost control his life and was not believed when he tried to tell of the abuse he endured.

Rooney, testifying today before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, entitled "Justice for All: Ending Elder Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation", relayed how he couldn't believe that abuse, at the hand of family members, was happening to him.

"Over the course of time, my daily life became unbearable," Rooney told the committee. "I felt trapped, scared, used and frustrated. But above all I felt helpless."

Rooney said when he tried to speak up, he was told to be quiet. "It seemed like no one believed me."

Rooney continued to tell and found the help he needed.

"You are not alone and you have nothing to be ashamed of," Rooney said to victims of abuse. "Tell your story to anyone who will listen and above all, HAVE HOPE. Someone will hear you."

Silence is the friend of abuse. Have the courage to speak up. Help is here.

Mickey said it best. "If we all stand strong together and speak up, we can begin to take the necessary steps to end the cycle of abuse."

Thanks for your courage to speak up for the millions of silent abuse victims, Mickey. Today they had a voice. Today they were heard.

If you know of abuse, tell. It's the only way a victim can get help. Click here for a directory of state helplines, hotlines and elder abuse resources. http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/Find_Help/State_Resources.aspx

Full text of Mickey Rooney's comments http://www.aging.senate.gov/events/hr230mr.pdf

Video

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/mickey-rooney-told-shut-13040266

Elders who are in poor health with physical impairment, suffer mental illness or cognitive impairment, who have limited social support, are most as risk of abuse, says a report issued by the Government Accounting Office (GAO).

The report was issued in conjunction with the Special Committee on Aging senate hearing, entitled "Justice for All: Ending Elder Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation". Mickey Rooney testified as to the abuse he suffered, during the hearing.

Physical impairment and poor health isolates elders and makes them dependent on others for activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing. A 2005 caregiver study, between caregiver spouse and recipient, found that the more impaired the recipient, the greater instance of abuse.

The report says that a predictor of physical abuse and financial exploitation is depression in older adults. It speculates that these persons may be less likely to ask for help, which makes them vulnerable. Depression is also an indicator of a caregiver who becomes a perpetrator. Alcohol abuse is more likely found in those who self-neglect, it says.

Alzhiemer's and dementia increase caregiver stress, which leads to abuse. Elders suffering from these conditions are unable to defend themselves or even tell, making them more vulnerable to abuse, the report says.

Finally, a lack of social support, for the elder or caregiver, make abuse more likely. Caregivers need respite; the elder needs a neutral friendly visitor to monitor his condition.

The indicators are there. Solutions are not. And the population continues to age.

The aging tsunami is here. We need action now.

There are a lot of memories that make me cry; the death of my parents, some teenage rebellion my children went through, and the death my dog. If something triggers the memory, my eyes well up and a tear slips down my cheek.

Conversely, when I think about my mother laughing, my children returning baby birds to their nests, or any of the warm, wonderful memories of life, I smile all day long.

The attached article says the same occurs with dementia patients. Dementia patients retain the emotion, even if they don't remember the incident. So if something triggers a happy memory, dementia patients connect with the emotion of the event. Again, if something triggers the sad memory, it is the sadness that the dementia patient remembers and feels again.

The dementia patient can't tell you what happened or why he feels the way he does. He can only feel the emotion.

Don't get frustrated with the dementia patient and his unpredictable moods. Try and understand his past and the triggers of emotions. It may help in creating a more happy patient and a less stressed caregiver.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/health/145308-dementia-patients-dont-forget-feelings-.html

I received the following email this morning.

"Hello I'm Ms juliet, I saw your contact and i feel that you are an interesting person.i don't think that age appearance is so important.The most important is what inside you and how you feel about the life.i will send my photo and details to you, i have a very important thing to tell you, i hope for your reply, have a pleasant day, juliet"

Do I believe Ms. Juliet randomly found me on the internet and that Iwas so fascinating she needed to find out more? No. Definitely no. Absolutely no.

I knew it before I opened it. First, it was from someone I don't know. Second, my name was in the BC line. BC means that you are blind copied, so you can't see who all got the email. This could have been sent out to 250 persons, but it looks personal because you are blind copied.

Third, the subject is "hello." It looks personal and friendly, but that is the ploy to get you to open the email.

Then you open the email and get a somewhat personal sounding email, from a stranger who wants to get to know you better. What Ms. Juliet wants to know, and from all the others who were blind copied, is about your money and bank accounts. No matter how friendly or understanding she sounds via email, it is a scam. She wants your money.

Scams are a numbers game. If you send an email out to enough people, somebody will respond. Somebody will be lonely enough to reach out of Ms. Juliet. And somebody will open their wallet to her.

Don't be a statistic to scammers. Show any email, from unknown persons, to a trusted friend. Get a second opinion. Get a third. But don't fall victim to a scam.

Lavish vacations, a new car and sessions with a dog whisperer are some of the perks caregivers paid themselves out of their elder charges bank accounts.

Paid caregivers stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from elders, just from the cases highlighted in the four stories attached below. The sad part is that even though restitution is ordered, due to the age of the victims, it is doubtful that full repayment will occur in their lifetime.

How do you fully restore an elder who was financially independent, who now must rely on state assistance to pay for his long-term care, because the paid caregiver went on a shopping spree with the elder's cash? How do you restore to taxpayers, the public cost of long-term care to the elders, after caregivers use the life savings of their charges, to finance an affluent lifestyle?

You can't.

As a society, we can work to plug the holes that allow the easy access to elders' accounts. We need to require bonds for those who have access to financial accounts of elders. We need third party monitoring of accounts for those elders who have no family.

We need more answers to prevent the millions of dollars exploited from elders every day. The public and private costs of financial exploitation are too great to ignore.

http://www.swrnn.com/southwest-riverside/2011-03-05/local-county-news/laguna-niguel-family-charged-with-defrauding-elderly-to-help-pay-for-eye-surgery-private-schools-and-a-session-with-a-dog-whisperer

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/mar/03/woman-pleads-guilty-felony-elder-abuse-charge/

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/557215/Woman-who-stole-from-elderly-patients-sentenced.html?nav=5006

Thieves are always so helpful.

In the attached story, one acts as a friendly restroom attendant and points the elderly ladies to certain stalls, where purses full of money and credit cards are place on the floor or the door hook.

There is a knock at the door, to create a distraction, probably while the senior lady has her knickers pulled down and waiting for nature to do its thing. While the lady is focused on the distraction, the partner reaches over or under the door and steals the purse.

Thieves create opportunity to steal your money. Don't let your mind rest at the restroom. Be aware and be alert. Keep your purse locked in the trunk of your car, or securely on your lap in public restrooms. Report any suspicous people hanging out in the restroom. Don't be victim of elder crime and abuse.

http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/crime_checker/cecil_county_crime/state-police-catch-women-robbing-elderly-woman-in-rest-stop-bathrooms

Nothing strikes more fear, in the hearts of elders and their families, than the words "nursing home"

It conjours thoughts of sick, vulnerable people, warehoused in the last days of their lives and, worst of all, estate recovery.

Estate recovery is mandated by the federal government for those persons who received Medicaid asssistance to pay for their long term care. Estate recovery allows states to collect funds from the recipients estate and place liens against the estate's assets, which is usually the family home.

The thought of the family home being sold to reimburse the state for money expended thorugh Medicaid is enough for some elders, or their families, to reject the health care they need.

Or there is scheming and transferring and other plans to keep the home in the hands of family and out of estate recovery.

There is nothing wrong with good estate planning to minimize taxes and maximize what you pass on to your children. But a knee jerk reaction to transfer property out of the hands on elders and into the hands of beneficiaries could have some serious consequences.

There is consequence of the five year look back period. If the elder goes into a nursing home before five years lapses on the transfer, the elder may be eligible for Medicaid until a penalty period has passed.

If a trusted child dies and the transferrred property is inherited by the spouse, there is nothing to force the spouse to care for the elder, with those funds. the elder loses control of the asset and the funds, if there is a transfer. There is no guarentee that the transferee will care for the elder.

The fact of the matter is that as long as the elder is living, the state does not collect any reimbursement on Medicaid. A spouse or children in the home triggers more protection and delay.

Learn about estate recovery and your rights by clicking on the link below, or search "estate recovery" and the name you state. Don't do anything until you have all the facts.

https://www.cms.gov/MedicaidEligibility/08_Estate_Recovery.asp

Elder father is computer literate and always kept track of his PINs, until he changed them, the caregiver lamented in a local advice column. Now, he signs up for offers with recurring charges and doesn't remember the PIN. The caregiver said that now it takes hours to cancel orders and clear up any obligations the father made.

Talk to your parent about PINs and recurring charges, so this doesn't happen to you, the caregiver advised.

This works if your elderly parent is clear and sharp, 24/7. He understands and works a system to remind him of the dos and don'ts of online ordering.

However, studies show that by age 80, 50 percent of the elderly population has some form of dementia. That doesn't mean when the big 8-0 hits, your mind gets blown out with the candles. That means, that during the 60s and 70s, dementia was inching along, bit by bit, until the family can't be deny it any more.

Maybe the elder drifts in and out of the present. Maybe he gets confused at little. But researchers found that the first sign of dementia is poor financial decisions. If the cause of forgotten PINs and online shopping is caused by dementia, reasoning won't help. Expecting a person with dementia to comprehend and make better decisions in the future is like expecting a rock to sing the national anthem. You can encourage, yell, get mad and frustrated all you want, but the rock won't sing and reason never trumps dementia. Ever.

Understand why your elderly parent does certain things and adapt. Don't push your elderly parent to adapt to your expectations. You may be asking too much.

To learn more about dementia, click on the following links:

Symptoms and causes of Dementia:

http://www.epigee.org/mental/dementia.html

Caregiver's guide to understanding Dementia behaviors:

http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=391

Recognize

My father was lost after my mother's death. He cared for her, during her fight with cancer and never gave up hope for a miracle. So, after 46-years of marriage, the end was hard. It was like he sat down and waited to die.

Dad did not seek out grief support groups. He did not seek counseling or anti-depressants. Those of a certain age have that "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" kind of attitude. You don't need a pill. And you sure don't need to tell your personal business to a bunch of strangers in the support group.

Then, he met a sad, young lady who was in desparate trouble. Her ex-husband beat her to a pulp. He owed her child support. Her father just died. She suffered dire medical problems. She had no means of support because the whole world was against her. And she needed my dad's help. And he was needed again.

And even confronted with evidence of drug use and past violence, Dad continued to asssit and defend her. He was convinced he could save her. Thousands of dollars later, Dad died, and the now, older lady was still an addict.

Its tough to lose a spouse. It's hard to lose your friends, one by one. You're not interested in anything. There's nothing to look forward to but the next funeral. And then you meet a young girl who needs help.

Get yourself help. Get screened for depression. Join a grief support group. You are not alone. Life does get better.

But, if you insist on sending money to help a young woman whose problems are neverending, consider it as your entertainment budget. Don't spend any more on the relationship than you would a week at the slots in Las Vegas, because the house always wins.

Learn more about depression in the elderly by clicking on the attached link. Get the help you need.

"As the author of the legislation calling for the State Plan, I wanted to bring together the best minds in California to develop new ways to address the epidemic that is Alzheimer's disease. If we don't act now before the epicenter of the crisis hits us in 10 years, the economic and human costs will be insurmountable. Procrastination is simply not an option. I am absolutely confident that our State Plan will be a model for the nation." Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose)

We have a new appreciation for the word epicenter these days. Check out the following link to see maps of the earthquake epicenter that devastated Japan. Notice, it lay in the ocean, close to Japan but not quite there. And, if you need any more reminder of the Sendei people's suffering from being near the epicenter, check out the photos.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/11/japan-earthquake-map-epic_n_834504.html

What does "epicenter of the Alzheimer's crisis" mean" What does it look like? And what are the aftershocks?

California's epicenter (and Tennessee's and all other states) occurs when one in eight baby boomers age 55 and older will have Alzheimer's Disease. One in six will have another form of dementia. One in eight who have no short term memory. One in eight who lose their reasoning and speech. One in eight who lose understanding of language. One in eight who don't recognize family members and can't feed themselves, dress themselves or bath themselves. One in eight who lose continance and must wear diapers and be changed like a baby. That is the epicenter.

The aftershocks are for the caregivers, for those one in eight. Family caregivers dealing with dementia patient, who doesn't think anything is wrong. Caregivers who must bathe, dress and feed a dementia patient, who doesn't know what he wants, but it ain't that. Caregivers who suffer stress, frustration and anger because no amount of yelling, screaming, coaxing or bribing will make that dementia patient keep his diaper on and feces finger paints off the walls. Caregivers, in the aftershock, pushed to the breaking point of abuse.

Unlike the earthquake in Japan, we see this crisis coming. California and Tennessee state plans call for caregiver supports, home and community based services to keep people in their homes. Driving guidelines for those with dementia. Adult Day Care. All these services to serve the one in eight.

It will touch all lives.

Know it. Believe it. Support government funding. Procrastination is simply not an option.

A New Hampshire state senator cut his political career short after telling a constituent that all disabled should be shipped to Siberia.

The 91-year-old freshman lawmaker submitted his resignation, after the constiuent reported that the state senator also said that he agreed with the Nazi treatment of the disabled.

Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of pocketbook. What a plan.

For the mothers, fathers and children of the disabled, the remark is an additonal kick in the pants, after they have already been slapped with cuts in social services for the disabled and elderly. Family caregivers, who now number 14.9 million in this country, need real answers to their plight.

They need adult day care, so they can continue to work while caring for disabled parents and grandparents. They need respite care, when the stress of caring for dementia patients is too much. They need empathy, not impatience. They need the government to recognize that support to family caregivers is the way this country will weather the Alzheimer's crisis and not come out bankrupt.

The state senator should be grateful he is still healthy enough to be independent. If he gets sick, his children may just buy him a plane ticket for a geographic solution to their problem.

http://www.wmur.com/politics/27192274/detail.html

Nothing she ever did was right.

The house wasn't clean enough, the kids weren't disciplined enough, socially she was inept and didn't fit in and all her friends were losers.

"I thought he was right," the college educated lady said of the emotional abuse her husband threw at her every day of their marriage. "If it were physical abuse, I would have known I was being hit."

That's the problem with emotional abuse. When the victim is isolated and dependent, there is no other voice but the perpetrator. "Why can't you do anything. I have to work so hard and all you is make a mess. You have no options. I'm all you've got. If you don't like it, I'll just put you in a nursing home, where they will abuse you."

Emotional abuse is like a punch in the stomach. It's a blow you can't stop, a scar that won't heal, and and a pain that radiates from your broken heart. And you feel powerless to stop it.

Learn the signs of emotional abuse. Learn to speak up. Life can be better. You are not alone.

If you know an elder who is emotionally abused, report it. You may be her only voice.

State directory of hotlines, helplines and elder abuse resources:

http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/Find_Help/State_Resources.asp

Signs and symptoms of emotional abuse:

http://www.thisisawar.com/AbuseEmotional.htm

http://www.elder-abuse-information.com/abuse/abuse_emotional.htm

An elder lady was telling a story about a neighborhood girl we had known years before. She had fallen on some hard times and is on the rebound. It wasn't a straightforward story, with a beginning middle and end. There was some wandering thoughts about a trip she was reminded of...something about a cousin...then about good food. Finally, how the girl is recovering from the hardships.

Her daughter, at her side, kept the conversation on track and factually correct. "That's not right, Mother," she'd say with the correction. "That's not what we are talking about now."

"When you become old, the children become the parent," her mother grumbled. "They are always correcting you."

Elders' don't like being corrected any more than than a teenager with car keys. He shuts his mind down and rolls his eyes. He knows what he is doing.

Elders know they've been doing it a lot longer than their their whipper snapper children. Give them credit for getting by for the past 80 years. They have managed quite fine without the aid and assistance of their family and can handle themselves in public.

Seniors may think they are prepared, when a scammer comes calling, but they are so smooth and slick, the aging brain may not see the warning signs. They may have heard of grandparent scams, but that crying voice on the phone, claiming to be a grandchild in terrible trouble, is too real to question. Undiagnosed dementia may lead to friendships with sweepstakes scammers. All this may lead to money in the scammer's pocket.

The shame of being swindled is enough to keep some of the seniors from reporting the scam.

Talk, but don't lecture, your elderly parents, friends and relatives about scams. Ask what they would do in the event a grandparent scam. Have them practice the right answer for their situation, whether it be hanging up, or asking a secret verifying question. Practice an answer in the event of a sweepstakes notification that requires a large amount of cash to be paid before the winnings can be collected.

If you can't get a good answer in practice, the elder is ripe for the scammer's picking. Know your seniors' abilities. Keep them safe.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_17633110

http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=96089

The morning news was filled with stories of elderly, who were financially exploited by family, friends, caregivers, investment counselors and, yes, professional scammers. The eight victims, who made the news, lost a total $382,480.

A particularly poignant story, attached, told of an elderly couple who gave power of attorney to their niece, a bank manager, so she could manage their affairs. Who wouldn't trust a relative, who is a bank officer?

The niece blew through this couple's life savings, like a tornado in a trailer park. There was nothing left, after the shopping, vacations and gambling, not even pride.

The wife continues to deal with the destructive force of the theft. She must sell her house to pay for the long term care she needs.

Her husband lost the luxury of dying in peace. "Have they taken Marisa down yet?" These were the last words his widow heard. Not exactly what a wife wants to hear from her husband on his deathbed. Not exactly what you want to be thinking of when you are preparing to meet your maker.

The costs of financial exploitation of the elderly are immeasurable. We need solutions now to prevent the onslaught on exploitation, with the aging population. We need our elders to feel safe with their money, for life.

http://citizensvoice.com/news/savings-stolen-retired-woman-must-sell-home-1.1121282#axzz1HBRsuFG6

He wanders at night, looking for the bathroom. Although it is straight down the hall, the door removed and the light left on, he still can't find it, because of dementia. He gets lost in the kitchen and relieves himself whenever he thinks he is at the toilet. Once in the litter box. Once in the dryer. Many times on the floor.

His daughter can handle cleaning up the urine. It's when the diaper comes off and feces is smeared everywhere, that her patience is tested.

"Why doesn't he leave his diaper on?" she vents. "We have all this work to do and he just creates more. I tell him to just leave it on and he still takes it off."

She's yelled. Walked outside. Taken deep breaths. Called and vented. She's wanted to smack him a couple of times, but was always able to control her anger. She knows he is not doing this to be irritating. She knows he is not just pushing her buttons. It's just dementia. It can't be reasoned with, so she knows it is up to her to control her temper.

In the attached story, a friend came to an elderly woman's home to make dinner. She boiled water and dumped it on the wheelchair bound lady's head, who suffered burns on her face. The story does not provide details as to what triggered the assault, but no matter whatever happened, the friend lost control, caused serious injury and landed in jail.

There are thousands of reasons and incidents that build and fester until there is an eruption of anger on the scale of Mt. Vesuvius. When you feel it building, control your anger, not the situation. If nothing else, step away, outside, anywhere, and calm down.

Uncontrolled anger is not a luxury or a privilege. It is abuse, no matter if the result is only hurt feelings. Learn to control your anger. It's your duty to stay in control of your emotions, so others can be safe.

To learn more about anger management, click on the following link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anger-management/MH00102

http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/4433576-418/cops-woman-poured-boiling-water-over-elderly-neighbor.html

Whenever I think about time with my dad, who is now deceased, I particularly linger on the memories of our bedtime routine. I provided assistance and care to him, during the last year of his life and that included tucking him into bed.

I would take his socks off, and help ensure his legs got swung onto the mattress. I'd pull up the blankets, help him select a movie to watch on TV and rub his feet with lotion. That's what I miss the most; helping my dad.

Caregiving is not always unforgiving, drudgery work. It is a personal and intimate time between you and your charge. Its a time in which you share the energy of helping, acceptance and love. It's a deep and powerful connection that you share.

Caregiving is stressful and hard. Doctor's appointments are constant and endless. Personal time is as rare as chicken teeth. But don't forget the love.

Slow down and enjoy the loving moments of caregiving. Those are the memories you will cherish.

I often tell people the only way to prevent elder abuse and financial exploitation from happening to them, is don't become vulnerable.

Vulnerable means someone else is paying your bills. Someone else is helping you with personal care of bathing and dressing. Vulnerable means that you rely on other people to take care of you.

Vulnerable means you've lost control.

Heart disease, cancer and stroke, diet and lifestyle diseases, are top three causes of premature death, in the United States. Now, I've heard the argument, "Well something's going to kill me, it may as well be that chocolate cake."

The problem, with that argument, is that diet and lifestyle diseases don't strike you down, like a thunderbolt. They are slow, debilitating diseases, that chip away at you, day by day, inch by inch. You're tired, you can't breathe, you need medicines, just to feel better than bad. Uncontrolled diabetes leads to amputation and blindness. Stroke could leave you paralyzed and unable to speak. They leave you vulnerable to abuse and financial exploitation.

Then there is dementia. Dementia causes run the gamut from alcohol and drug use, smoking, nutritional deficiencies, and kidney, liver and lung diseases. With dementia, you lose your memory, your reasoning and your life. You are, vulnerable, completely dependent on a caregiver for all your needs. You are unable to tell anybody, that someone is neglecting you by letting you lay in your own waste. That the personal caregiver is molesting you during your baths. That you get slapped every time you don't understand.

After years of decline and suffering, from the insults to the body these diseases inflict, you finally have the big one and move on to that heavenly dessert cart in the sky. Not exactly the way most people want to go.

Tomorrow, before you order that sausage, egg and cheese biscuit for breakfast, think about how vulnerable you want to be in your elder years. Make your choices as if your life depends on it.

http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/nutrition_policy.html

http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-dementia

"...For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us part."

Seeing a couple proclaim their love and devotion through the traditional wedding vows, always brings a tear to my eyes. They are declaring, to their families and friends, their unity against the cruelties of the world. It is through this vow, the husband and wife affirm, "I am there for you, always."

Unfortunately, health and financial issues create great stress, in the best of marriages and the "death do us part" is amended to "or until the divorce is final." That is better than the unhappy couple in the attached story, whose vows probably should have contained, " or as long as the checks keep coming."

The unfortunate husband suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car crash and rendered disabled and unable to care for himself. The wife, under Medicaid Home and Community Based Services self-directed care, designated her mother as the paid caregiver. Under her care, son-in-law was found, suffering from ulcers, bed sores, dehydration, malnutrition, even though she was paid $128,300 in Medicaid funds, from 2006-2010. Payments for care she reported, even though records show she was employed somewhere else, was out of town, or during the hospitalization of her son-in-law.

Mother and daughter were also arraigned on diverting Social Security benefits, that were to be used for the husband's care. Care that resulted in "severe odor of decayed or dead tissue" and an immediate trip to the emergency room.

In Medicaid self-directed care, the recipient has a budget in which to hire home caregivers to provide the assistance and care he needs, as a nursing home diversion program. A spouse is not entitled to receive payment for care, but a relative caregiver may be hired and be paid, because it is presumed a loving relative will provide good care. The final check and balance it monitoring, to ensure the consumer is not neglected.

This case documents four years of neglect this brain-injured man endured, while his mother-in-law was paid taxpayer dollars for his care. This case documents the failure of the self-directed program's monitoring system, which allowed the neglect to continue for so long. This case documents that abusive caregivers can beat the system, for what may seem like an eternity, if you are the one suffering bedsores and lying in your own waste.

Self-directed care keeps people in their homes at a fraction of nursing home costs. But the government must realize, without proper monitoring, its never it will never be a bargain

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2011/03/23/news/doc4d8a5de94c4f0254093886.txt?viewmode=fullstory

Mickey Rooney demonstrated clarity and courage when he asked Congress to pass legislation intended to stop abuse and financial exploitation of the elderly in this country.

He plans to revive his career, which has spanned 88 years, when his parents put him on a vaudeville at the tender age of 17-months. In the works include a deal to narrate a documentary about elder abuse.

So, why would a man, who is control of all his faculties and is looking to perform, need a conservator? After all, the reason Rooney needs to perform, is to replace the money, spent down to nothing, by stepson Chris Aber, who had been in charge of the actor's finances. After all that, you would have a hard time getting the checkbook away from me, that's for sure.

Research tells us that the elderly rank well when it comes to decision making based on emotions and past experiences. It is this wealth of knowledge that make the elder wise in his perspective.

However, thinking capacity declines with age and the ability to process information slows. Think about playing "Wheel of Fortune". In my twenties, all I needed were consonants. Now I would have to buy all the vowels to solve the puzzle. The same is true with elder capacity. Sometimes it takes more time and information to get to the right decision.

Also, when elders base decison making on emotions, they are vulnerable to scams and financial exploitation. Shame for being taken, particularly when family is involved, prevents elders from reporting any wrong doing.

Rooney says he needs a conservator "to bring peace a litle closer" for the family, by removing Aber's involvement in the family entertainment business.

When you think of a conservatorship, it is generally thought that the ward is completely stripped of all rights and out of control of his affairs. The National Guardianship Association says that conservatorship is utilized when a person "can no longer make or communicate safe or sound decisons about his person or property and has become suspectible to fraud or undue influence.

Core guardian/conservator principles include "substituted judgment" in which the conservator is bound to make decisions which would closely reflect the ward's own decision, if he had full capacity. So the conservator's decisions are not made in a vacuum, but based on what the ward would choose. It offers protection, in Rooney's case, from the emotional baggage he carried with his stepson, and not get in the way of a wise decision. Rooney would be consulted and the final decision made, as close to his wishes as possible, that would also conserve the estate.

The role of the conservator is not to take over, like a 500 lb. gorilla. The mission statement of the Conservator Association of Tennessee (CAT) says it best: All adults, no matter what their cicmstances, are presumed to be competent rather than incompetent, capable rather than incapable, and have the right to independent decision-making autonomy, self-determination, and the protection of their civil rights and liberties."

In other words, conservatorship protects and conserves the estate, as wishes of the ward. With a conservatorship, Mickey Rooney will have an important say as to his life affairs, without the threat of emotional blackmail in the decision making.

Good for him.

Elder decision making

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070426093412.htm

National Guardianship Association Overview

http://www.guardianship.org/pdf/guardianshipConservatorship.pdf

Surrogate decision maker

http://www.guardianship.org/pdf/surrogate.pdf

Conservator Association of Tennessee

http://www.tn.gov/didd/CAT/index.html

Conservator: Rooney needs to work

http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/03/25/rooney.conservatorship/

It is....(drumroll)....Plain Talk about Aging fan page! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Plain-Talk-about-Aging-Fan-Page/212282465454758#!/pages/Plain-Talk-about-Aging-Fan-Page/212282465454758?sk=wall

I must have 25 likes to get a better web address, so go on in there and click that Like button!

I'm also going to answer a few questions that come up often.

This is a custom blog, produced by the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability and the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition.

I would entertain invitations to guest blog, but you would have to send a link and the request to info@tvaconline.org.

This blog was started February 10, 2011. It is my first blog, but in a prior life I was a reporter and free-lance writer.

Thanks for all the kind comments and helpful suggestions. I appreciate every one of them!

Wrote the same post three times yesterday and the internet went down each time. Have it saved on my personal PC and will try and find a Starbucks or other internet hotspot to post that, and today's entry.

I'm in San Franciso and heard Phillip Marshall, grandson of abuse victim Brooke Astor, the New York philanthropist, who was isolated, neglected and financially exploited at 100 years old by her own son. For all the good Mrs. Astor did throughout her life, her greatest legacy may be raising awareness of the elder abuse in this country.

Mickey Rooney speaks at 12:30 Pacific time. Hope to have video.

Thanks for your support. I'll find a hotspot later today.

Actor and abuse victim Mickey Rooney vowed to do his part, for the millions of seniors in America, to stop elder abuse, as he spoke to elder abuse professionals, today, at the Elder Financial Protection Network's annual conference in San Francisco.

Rooney, also, signed a proclamation which urged President Barack Obama and Congress to issue a special elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder abuse prevention programs. It also asks for Obama to issue a proclamation recognizing June 15 at World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and to consider lighting the White House purple on that date.

"Let us not forget to remember," Rooney said of the untold numbers of elders who are being abuse. "You never see yourself as being abused. It just sneaks up on you."

Rooney said he wants to see legislation passed to stop abuse..."to let abusers know that they will not go undetected."

He said he was "literally scalped" and was not allowed to make the most basic decisions in control of his life, during the time his stepson was abusing and financially exploiting him.

"I suffered silently until I mustered the courage to seek help and guidance ," Rooney said. "I spoke up when I could not stand the pain any more."

Rooney was the first to sign EFPN's Call to Action proclamation asking for the issueance of the stamp, proclamation and to light the White House purple. The proclamation may be found at www.bewiseonline.org.

There is also a Facebook page "Light the White House purple for Word Elder Abuse Awareness Day June 15".

Rooney, who admits making mistakes in his life, is a survivor. He sought help, was told he was crazy and not believed. He continued to tell, until someone believed.

Believe it when an elder tells you he is being abused. You may be his only voice.

The rousing applause and cheers that greeted Mickey Rooney, when he arrived to speak at the Elder Financial Protection Network's (EFPN) annual conference, were not for the abuse victim, but for the abuse survivor and advocate.

Rooney silently suffered abuse and financial exploitation at the hand of his stepson, he said, "until he couldn't stand the pain any longer," and got someone to believe him and take action.

I ask you today, to believe that daily, millions of our nation's elderly suffer physical and emotional abuse, neglect and financial exploitation at the hands of family members and caregivers. I ask you to believe that caregiver intimidation, the elders' desire to protect thier families and the shame that it is happening, leads to under-reporting of abuse. I ask you to believe that no elder, after a long and productive life, deserves to lay in their own waste, deserves to develop bedsores to the bone or deserves to be slapped, intimitadated and deprived of food. I ask that you believe that no elder deserves to have their entire life savings stolen and must accept government assistance for the basic necessities to live. Believe that millions of elderly suffer from these and more.

I ask that you believe these victims need your help.

Help by signing EFPN's online petition "Stamp our Elder Abuse" found in the attached link. The petition asks that President Barack Obama and Congress issue an elder abuse postage stamp, to raise money for elder abuse prevention programs. It asks for President Obama to issue a proclamation designating June 15, 2011 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. And to raise awareness of the plight of elder abuse victims everywhere, it asks that the President light the White House purple on that day.

No, signing a petition will not feed a hungry senior. It will not prevent bedsores developed from neglect. It will not reimburse the money stolen.

It will raise awareness. Abuse works best in silence and if people are aware, it is easier to detect. If people are aware, it is easier to intervene. If people are aware, it is easier to believe.

Please. Believe. Act. Report. Sign the petition. Raise awareness. Give victims a voice.

http://stampoutelderabuse.org/

(This article was to post March 30, but due to internet issues, it is being posted today. Just pretend it is on time:))

We traveled to San Francisco today, to attend the Elder Financial Protection Network s annual conference, tomorrow. Speakers include actor and abuse victim, Mickey Rooney and Phillip Marshall, who turned in his own father for abusing his grandmother, Brooke Astor.

Since we are in Nashville, TN we had to fly. My husband suffers right side paralysis, from a stroke, so he is in a wheel chair. With only one hand, he can only hold a small bag or coats. That leaves me, the caregiver, to deal with everything else. We travel a lot, so I have a system of getting us and our stuff to the gate in one trip. The computer is slung over one shoulder, my purse is slung over the other shoulder, left hand pulling the suitcase while the right hand pushes and guides the wheelchair. It s not pretty but it works.

Today, an airline employee was summoned to push Ernie to the gate. Now, because of my propensity to be right on time (some would call it running late) I have jogged through the airport, with all the previously mentioned articles and Ernie hanging on for dear life, so we could make our flight. So, I m thinking, we are only 10 gates away. The airport floor is flat (good pushing conditions) and heck; the suitcase is already on the plane. I can make this easy. Piece of cake. Chocolate, of course.

I almost thanked him and took over. But, it was nice having someone else push. It was nice not to be so loaded down. It was nice to be helped.

Why is it so hard for caregivers to accept help. Why is there shame in receiving help? How many times has someone offered help, and your response was I can handle it.

Sure, you can handle it. You handle it every day. You handle the cooking, cleaning, finances, shopping and errands of the household. You handle the personal care, the medical care and the emotional care of the disabled person. You can handle all the overwhelming details of a caregiver s life, without help.

But it s nice to be helped. It s nice not to feel so loaded down, even if it is just for a few minutes. It s nice for someone to be good to you.

Accept help when it is offered. You may have to do it all alone tomorrow, so take the help; take the breather; take the lighter load. You deserve it.

The only thing I remember from college economics is "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch". This means that someone has to pay the bill, somewhere down the line. So, when I receive an invitation to an educational seminar about estate planning, reverse mortgages and annuities, I know they want me to pick up the tab.

All of these seminars, called plate licker marketing by the insurance industry, use fear, anger and greed as a three-part sales pitch for unscrupulous insurance sales persons to get an invitation into a senior's home, before they hone in for the kill; sales of reverse mortgages and annuities.

"A senior with $200,000 in assets can generate a commission of $87,000," said Prescott Cole, of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to improved the choices, care and quality of California's long term care consumers.

Insurance sales get their target audience by offering a free lunch for an "informational seminar", in which they prey on the seniors' fear of depleting their life savings by paying for nursing home care and offer a financial product which will allow them the entitlement of Medicaid.

The point of the pitch is to get an invitation into the senior's home, where there is no place to retreat, Cole said. There, sales pitches can last up to six hours, in which the elder is not allowed to leave the living room, go to the bathroom, or even drink water, as taught by annuity sales 101, Cole said. The sales goes on and on until the senior finally purchases the product, which artificially impoverishes them.

CANHR is working to require insurance sales staff to not be allowed to use titles, such as senior specialist, which indicates a certain level of expertise. It is also working for a suitability standard or checklist that sales staff would have to use.

CANHR is acting as a repository for high pressure annuity sales stories to advocate for necessary changes. It invites stories from all states to bring this issue to the national level. Check out www.canhr.org to report or get more information.

Don't fall victim to plate licker marketing. Buy your own lunch and save your bread.

He grew up poor and considered himself thrifty, so he was proud of the stacks of mismatched dishes, broken computers, old clothes, stacks of newspapers, unread mail and shoes that lay in piles, all the way around the walls of his home.

Any attempt to toss the junk, offended him. "Why are you always throwing away my things?" he whined. "You must have more money than me."

Finally, he was unable to live alone, so the children had to clean out the house to sell. He was told his stuff was in storage. He wants to go visit the unit to make sure the stacks of punch cards, he created for a computer class in the early 1970s were not thrown away, "because they are mine."

He was an undiagnosed hoarder, who attached great value to stuff that was beyond yard sale material. If he could ever envision a use for an item, he wanted it and would keep it forever, or until it got lost in the piles of junk that he continued to accumulate.

Hoarding did not take over this man's life, because his children stepped in and tossed. But in two of the stories attached, an elderly man and elderly woman, were each buried alive and died, because they fell and could not dig out from the junk. That makes hoarding a safety hazard for the senior. Aside from risk from falling, the clutter creates a fire hazard and unsanitary living conditions.

Hoarders identify their possessions as central to their identities as soundly as a wage earner identifies with his job. So loosing or disposing of a possession creates anxiety, depression or a sense of loss and grief. There are obsessive/compulsive hoarders. There are hoarders who use it as a coping mechanism to control life. There are hoarders who became elderly and could no longer manage collections. And there are hoarders whose dementia exacerbates the collecting to an unmanageable tangle of stuff, as thick and deep as forest underbrush.

Hoarding isolates the elder because nobody wants to come into the house, because it is so cluttered. Homes have become so full, that the hoarder could not use the stove or sink for stacks of stuff. The shower stall was filled with debris. Chairs stacked high with old clothes, so you can't sit down.

Hoarders have no reason about their possessions. You can't yell, scream, bully or threaten to change behavior. You can bring in a truck and haul everything to dump, but if you don't address the underlying issues, the mountain of trash will just grow back, like kudzu.

Assess the hoarder for medical and mental health issues. Assess him for mental capacity to get proper medical treatment for the behavior. Hoarding won't cure itself. Get the hoarder the help and intervention he needs.

The Social Work Blog lists tips for intervening with hoarding situations. http://www.socialworkblog.org/practice-and-professional-development/2008/07/is-hoarding-a-big-deal/ http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/118995514.html

http://www.ajc.com/news/hoarder-found-dead-in-896764.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/01/elderly-hoarder-cecylia-o_n_843699.html

How are the number of stars and the annual number of elder abuse cases the same? They are both estimates, because there is a bunch that hasn't been counted.

Observable stars were thought to number around 100 septillion (that's 17 zeroes behind that one). Non observable red dwarfs, stars whose lights are too dim to see, could triple that number to 300 septillion.

In elder abuse, the observable prevalence rate is 3.24 percent per 1,000 elder persons. In other words, out of 1,000 seniors only 3.24 percent had a documented abuse case in the system. However, the unobservable, the hidden abuse self reporting survey found that 76 out of 1,000 persons said they had been a victim of at least one form of abuse, which included physical and sexual, neglect, emotional and financial exploitation, based on the "New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study", said author Dr. Mark Lachs.

Part of the problem with estimating the number of elder abuse victims in this country is the consistency and adequacy of the data available through Adult Protective Services, Lachs said.

The other issue with counting elder abuse cases is the inability or unwillingness of the victim to report.

Many times the perpetrator is a family member or caregiver, and victim is too intimidated, ashamed or incapacitated to report the abuse.

Getting accurate numbers is important so that law and policy makers can see the prevalence of abuse, among our elderly citizens. Data from this study suggest that abuse occurs 24 percent more often than official data collection statistics.

Of interest also, is the breakdown of vital statistics in reported and unreported cases, are within two percentage points of each other, showing consistency in those areas. Women were more likely than men to be abused and Caucasians more likely to be abused than other ethnicities. In other words, the most likely elder abuse victim is an elderly Caucasian woman, topping the list at 65 percent, wtih African Amercians coming in a distant second at around 26 percent of all cases.

Dr. Lachs says more studies need to be made on the prevalence of abuse rates and treatment of the issues. He also recommends investment in multidisciplinary elder abuse teams to serve victims and also work to prevent abuse. All this is recommended in the face a tight economy and a legislature focused on cutting, not spending on social services.

Support funding of the Elder Justice Act and money to upgrade systems so that data can be collected at by Adult Protective Services and researchers. Without accurate data, we will never find the hidden victims. We will never have an accurate count. We will never have the legislative support needed to help our most vulnerable citizens, come out of the cloak of unobservable darkness and in to the bright lights of focus and concern, so they can live their last days in peace and dignity.

Summary of the New York State Elder Abuse Prevelance Study

http://aging.senate.gov/events/hr230ml.pdf

Become an elder advocate! Find your legislator and express your support for the funding of the Elder Justice Act.

http://www.votesmart.org/

Elder Justice Act and info

http://www.elderjusticecoalition.com/

The 84-year-old lady in the attached story seemed to have it all to remain independent; Close family, who check in on her and an apartment in an assisted living with pull cords for assistance, if she ever needed help.

So, with these safety net features, how was it that she got stuck on the toilet in her apartment and was rescued after four days of entrapment?

First of all, the lady had fallen through the seat and got stuck and could not pull herself up and out. Second, the assistance pull cord was never pulled. And finally, her family did check on her, but only went to the apartment after four days of no word.

Elderly lose muscle mass quicker than younger people, partly because they become more sedentary and partly because of the physiology of aging. Researches don't know why this condition, called sarcopenia (literally flesh loss), affects us as we age, but the consequences are serious and can lead to disability and death.

Muscles in the quadriceps and the gluteas muscles of the lower body are necessary to rise from a chair. Researchers found that younger people need one half of their body strength to rise, but the elderly need 100 percent of their reserve strength, just to stand up from a chair. So if an elder becomes unable to rise from the toilet, his independence is in jeopardy.

We assume the lady in the story had enough muscle mass to rise from the toilet, but she did not have reserve strength to pull herself up, once she slid through the seat. So, preserving muscle mass, by strength training, could have prevented this incident.

But, why didn't she just reach over and pull the assistance cord? Researchers, also have found, that 50 percent of those persons over 80-years-old will have some cognitive impairment. To reframe, one out of two elders, over the age of 80, will have cognitive impairment. The lady was living on her own, so we assume she is cognitively together enough to get through the usual day. But, when faced with a new situation, elders don't use trial and error to problem solve.

How much trial and error is there to reach over and pull the cord? Not much, but the elder must remember it is there. She must have the cognitive ability to remember and not be too upset by her entrapment so she could look around and formulate a rescue.

My husband had a stroke which impaired his ability to think things through. When he first got his dentures, he had to learn to clean them. He had to learn which box the cleaner was in. He had to learn to get the cleaning tablets out of the package. He had to learn to put water in the denture container and put the tablet in to dissolve. And he had to learn to put the dentures in and wait. All this took practice. He did not learn it in a day. He had to practice for about a week before he got all the steps to clean his dentures, all by himself.

I'm suggesting that perhaps this lady wasn't properly trained on the pull cord. I'm suggesting that there should have been a demonstration and an opportunity for her to pull it. And maybe pull it one more time, to build that memory. And to pull it again for good measure.

Finally, if you care for an aging loved one, check on him regularly. If he doesn't answer his phone after a couple of times, it may be time for someone to check in personally.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8054446

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-grip-strength-20110403,0,6855887.story#

http://www.senior-exercise-central.com/weight-training.html

http://www.issuelab.org/research/growing_older_staying_strong_preventing_sarcopenia_through_strength_training

She is someone's mother. She is someone's grandmother. She is loved for all the care she gave while her memory was intact. She is loved for who she was and who she still is.

Unfortunately, the victim in this story was not being cared for by persons who have those strong, loving memories of a woman who worked hard for her family. Her caregivers were young certified nursing assistants who only saw her as a confused, demented old thing, not worthy of love, care, and respect. And they didn't believe that she would be believed.

The victim complained to her family about the abuse she was enduring, which included slapping, pushing and humilitation. "Why are they picking on me?" The family complained to the facility, but was told the victim had dementia and could not be believed.

The story could have ended there, but the family did believe. They set up a surveillance camera in the room and saw the abuse. They saw the CNAs block the woman, so she couldn't escape. They saw the pushing and slapping. They saw the victim, undressed from the waist down, helpless against these three "caregivers".

Untold numbers of elderly are not protected from abuse, because they aren't believed. Their memories are faulty, they are in and out of delusional states and their logic and reason is gone. How can they convince the coherent of slapping, pushing and humiliation they are suffering, when no one believes.

Believe reports of abuse. Believe something is happening to those suffereing from dementia. Do as this family and take control of the situation. Investigate and learn the truth. Don't allow faulty memories and uncaring workers stop you from protecting your loved one.

Also attached, is an excellent resource for caregivers of dementia patients. You need all the help and support you can get.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Woman-78-Beaten-Stripped-by-Assisted-Living-Workers-119326429.html

http://www.nd.gov/dhs/info/pubs/docs/2006-aging-alzheimer-training-manual-for-caregivers.pdf

The story of how potato chips were invented, starts with a complaint.

A customer sent back an order of fried potatoes because they weren't crisp enough.

The chef was incensed. How dare the customer complain! He, after all, was a chef and knew best how the food should be served. So he decided to retaliate. He sliced the potatoes paper thin, fried them crisp and, who would have thought...The customer raved about the dish and the potato chip was born.

This story is universal in that when people complain, you know there is not always a customer service rep on the other end, busting his tail to make it right. Sometimes, there is only someone out to retaliate; someone who wants to shut you up.

Nursing home residents fears of retaliation by staff is the conversation in the attached video, "Courage to Speak". In it, one lady says that she is not afraid to die, but she does fear, "how they will treat you."

"You don't know how it feels, until you depend on someone for everthing," another lady says in the film.

Staff retaliation to complaining nursing home residents include not answering the call bell, not responding to calls for help, bringing the food tray late...Not doing the basic living activities that nursing home residents must rely on the staff to perform. So what's a resident to do if he has a complaint, but worries about retaliation?

He should contact thel long-term care ombudsman, an Administration on Aging program for nursing home residents, to work the problem without fear of retaliaiton. A complaint to an ombudsman is confidential, to protect the resident from retaliaiton. And the ombudsman's job it to advocate for the resident and work through the problem to the resident's satisfaction.

The nursing homes is home to residents. If something is not right, if something makes the resident uncomfortable, if something is not "like home" the resident should be able to complain, without fear of retaliation. The ombudsman, in that facility, ensures that happens.

Support funding for the Elder Justice Act, which adds $40 million to the country's Ombudsman program, which provides the voice for nursing home residents. Sign the online petition at www.bewiseonline.org

"Courage to Speak" video

http://www.ct.gov/ltcop/cwp/view.asp?Q=473774&A=3821

How to find a Long-term care Ombudsman in your state

http://www.ltcombudsman.org/ombudsman

Utah seniors lose $1 million per week by financial exploitation from family members, which leads to dependence on public assistance, says a study by the Utah Adult Protective Services.

The of financial exploitation, in Utah alone, is estimated to be $51 million, with $7.8 million in public benefits after the senior is impoverished by family members, and had to turn to Medicaid, the study said.

Children and grandchildren, which accounted for 72 percent of the perpetrators, loot bank accounts, run up credit cards and, when there is no more cash, pawn wheelchairs and steal medications. In the cases studied, only two percent of the victims reported the crime.

The report says that it has been difficult to get law enforcement involved, in what is perceived as a family squabble.

In criminal law, students are taught that all crimes are against the state, not the victim. It is a crime against the state if you murder someone, because the state can't have its citizens settlling disputes in such a violent way. It is a crime against the state to peddle illicit drugs, because addicts add costs to police, for the crimes people commit to get the drugs and costs of treatment programs.

The United States need to look at the public costs of financial exploitation of the elderly. When the senior is impoverished by his family, he must go on public benefits to survive, including Medicaid, which is every state's greatest cost. Medicaid pays for long-term care that Medicare does not. Medicaid pays for healthcare that impoverished seniors cannot. Medicaid, a public, taxpayer based service for the poor, pays for medical care when the elerly citizen cannot. The elderly citizen, who has been financially exploited, and the perpetrator has spent all the money on shopping, vacations and gambling. It is the taxpayers who, eventually, foot the bill. Millions upon millions of taxpayer dollalrs foot the bill, each day, for financial exploitation of the elderly.

Let Congress know that this is unacceptable. Let Congress know that you care about our nation's seniors. Take a stand on financial exploitation and sign the peitition, found at www.bewiseonline.org. The petition, sponsored by the Elder Financial Protection Network, asks President Barack Obama and Congress, to issue a special stamp to raise awareness on the issue of elder abuse, for the President to issue a proclamation for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and to light the White House purple in recognition of the event. Sign the petition. Let the government know that you care about the elderly. Let the government know that financial exploitation of the elderly is a top priority. Sign the petitition and give a voice to the abused and exploited.

http://www.standard.net/topics/elder-abuse/2011/02/21/study-highlights-utahs-elder-abuse-problems

A new Volunteer Ombudsman Respresentative (VOR) was visiting her assigned facility when a long term resident's comment simultaneously chilled her to the bone and warmed her heart.

"Now that you are coming here," the resident said, "I feel safe."

That is the bottom line for nursing facility residents. To feel safe in their home. To be treated with respect and dignity, in their home. To feel at home, not feel like a resident in a nursing facility.

This is the core responsibility of VORs in the Administration on Aging's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program; to protect the residents and make them feel at home.

When residents are told to urinate in the bed, because aides are too busy to help them to the restroom, they lose their dignity. When food is served cold, they lose their dignity. When their call light is constantly ignored, they lose their dignity, all in their home.

A nursing facility is home to a resident. When things don't work right, they need to complain. And since the complaints are about the people who provide their care, they often need help. The fear of retaliation is real to nursing facility residents.

There will never be enough government funds to hire Long-Term Care Ombudsman to care for all the nursing facility residents in the nation. The program, in all states, depend on a volunteer workforce to solve these quality of life issues for nursing home residents.

Volunteer Ombudsman Representatives (VORs) assist our most vulnerable citizens live with dignity and respect in nursing facilities. They listen to the residents' complaints about food, service and treatment. They take the complaints seriously and work to get them resolved.

It's a hard job and time consuming. But for the thousands of residents, who have been helped, the VORs are angels on earth.

Please consider being an angel to the nation's most vulnerable citizens. Contact your local Ombudsman office and volunteer. Help our elderly have a quality of life, you want in your final days. Please volunteer.

To read more about Ombudsman volunteers, click on the following link:

http://www.aoa.gov/AoA_Programs/Special_Projects/Civic_Engagement/DOCS/ASA_2011_statement.pdf

"I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today", says Wimpy of "Popeye" fame. This is the attitude of those working on chronic diseases of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and others. Choosing unhealthy lifestyles for the hamburger today, will result in a heckava bill on Tuesday.

Obesity, diabetes and chronic drug or alcohol abuse, a.k.a. lifestyle diseases, are lowering the age of those entering into nursing facilities for needed long-term care.

Persons between the ages of 31-64 now make up 14 percent of nursing home residents, based on data from the Department of Health and Human Services. The article stated that this was up 10 percent for the decade and, if the trend continues, will threaten long-term care resources for the millions of baby boomers aging into the system.

The artery clogging hamburger today, could lead to stroke on Tuesday. Payment on Tuesday could include paralysis, problems with thinking, awareness, learning and memory. Language issues, which include understanding or forming speech and emotional problems, such as depression, could be the tax.

The hamburger today could cost you cardiovascular disease on Tuesday which include tiredness, pains and aches in the muscles, cold and numbness in the feet or toes, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeats and a host of other problems or symptoms.

The hamburger, fries and shake today, could cause obesity related diabetes on Tuesday which could lead to amputation, blindness or death. The bill you pay on Tuesday could literally cost you a toe, foot or leg.

All these bills that you pay on later, lead to dependence and loss of control of your life, Tuesday afternoon and thereon, as the younger nursing home residents in the attached story are finding.

Think about the bill on Tuesday. You don't get to choose when or how much you pay, when you persist in poor diet and lifestyle choices. You only pay the bill, when its presented in the form of poor health and vulnerability. But you will pay for that hamburger when the bill comes due.

Top 10 Life style Diseases

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Top_10_list_of_lifestyle_diseases

http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20110410/NEWS/110409758/1002/news50?Title=Study-More-young-people-entering-nursing-homes

How does being beaten to death sound to you?

The unfortunate victims in the attached stories found out; two beaten with a hammer, two beaten with the butt of a BB gun, one was pistol-whipped before being stabbed, and two others beaten, who didn't die from the beating, but I'm sticking it in here anyway. All the victims were in their 80s or 90s and at home.

An internet search of the terms "brutal elderly attack" garners 192,000 results on the search engine, Google.

Clearly, something is going on here.

There is no protection from random violence, as we witnessed in the Gabrielle Giffords shooting. But if you are in your own home, before you answer the door in the middle of the night, before you go outside to investigate a ruckus, before you open the door to any stranger, think about these victims. They were good people, at home, minding their own business, when they were attacked and viciously beaten.

You must consider your age and vulnerability before opening the door. You must know who is behind that closed door, before you open it. There are angry, brutal people who don't care about you. They don't care how many people you have helped in your life. They don't care how much charity you give. At the moment, you may be the only thing in the way of them getting money for drugs and that is a dangerous situation.

If you are elderly and live alone, make a plan. How would you react to a monster at your door? Who would you call? What would you do? Think about a safety plan, for your own protection and peace of mind. Do it so you don't have to find out how bad a beating death truly is.

For tips on formulating a safety plan, click on the following link:

http://www.cornellcares.org/pdf/handouts/can_safetytips.pdf

http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/3ac2c3ff560c413eb0292af9d84f6a34/PA--Hammer-Attack/

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/2011/04/12/mental-evaluation-ordered-in-n-seattle-attack/

http://www.wfmz.com/berksnews/27523070/detail.html

http://www.theday.com/article/20110412/NWS02/110419890/-1/NWS

When my son was little and mad at his mama, he would always threaten that when I got old and sick, he would "send me to a nursing home that only served dill pickles to eat."

To which I would always reply, "that's why your sister is going to be in charge of me."

Both kids have grown up, and love their mother enough, now, to keep her out of the dill pickle nursing facility, so I have no fears there. But, in my final days if I were unable to speak, who do I really want to make healthcare decisions for me? Who would understand my views and beliefs, and make those difficult decisions, without regard to their own feelings?

The goal of National Healthcare Decisions Day is to get people thinking of their end-of-life decisions and documentt them before the time comes. That attached link provides resources for you to draft your own healthcare power of attorney and a living will, so there is no confusion as to your wishes.

A healthcare power of attorney, also called a proxy, agent or surrogate, names the person that you want to make healthcare decisions on your behalf. The document presumes that the healthcare power of attorney understands your beliefs, regarding the use of artificial nutrition and hydration, resuscitation, ventilators and other medical treatments to prolong life. If you are unable to breathe on your own, and your prognosis is bleak, do you want to have a machine breathe for you? If you are unable to eat, do you want to be fed by artificial means? Would you rather be in a hospital during your final days or would you rather be home?

The same decisions are made on the living will, also called advanced directives. The living will allows you to be as specific to your healthcare as you want to be. You can choose what conditions are unacceptable to your quality of life and any treatments you want provided or withheld. It is meant to be your decision for the kind of final days you want.

If you don't make the decision, who will? If you don't make the decision, are you prepared to live and die with someone else in charge? It's all up to you. Make your decision. Stay in charge of your life and death.

http://www.nhdd.org/p/resources.html

I was eight months pregnant, with a broken leg and bored out of my mind. My world had shrunk due to this injury that kept me stuck in the house, away from my job, unable to go grocery shopping...unable to get down the home's three steps, just to get outside. I needed a break from cabin fever.

My loving husband was taking the kids to the pool. I thought a change of scenery would do me good, so I asked to go along. I envisioned myself, sitting in the shade, drinking something cool and watching the kids play with their dad.

He looked at me and the cast and said, "You are too much trouble to take anywhere."

And so he left me, with a glass of water on the coffee table, in the event I got thirsty, and the phone, in the event I needed to call someone. And he and the kids left me alone.

I've never forgotten that, even after all these years after the ink dried on our divorce papers. Because taking me along required more than walking out to the car, I was deemed too much trouble.

So, I feel for those who are shut-in and don't get out much, "because they are too much trouble." I hope their caregivers find the patience and love to get them out of the house, even for a drive in the country. Sometimes, just a change of scenery can change a bad attitude, just because of the cabin fever.

Think about all the places your go, in your daily lives. Think about all the people you talk with and the things your see. Then think about, if all of a sudden, you could no longer do these things. You could no longer go where you want to go, see what you want to see or do what you want to do. The only thing you are able to do is be at home, unless someone wants to take you, because you are not too much trouble to them.

Know what your trouble is, before planning the outing. Do you just need to allot more time, because the pace is slower? Do you need a strategy for getting up stairs? Whatever the trouble, plan around it, expect it and have a solution.

Give your shut-in a break from cabin fever. One day you may be the one who wants to get out.

Medical care, community resources and family caregivers are predicted to be overwhelmed and under resourced with a projected 10 million baby boomer Alzheimer patients on the near horizon according to a new report by the Alzheimer's Association.

The report, entitled "Generation Alzheimer's: The Defining Disease of the Baby Boomers", predicts that the cost of the Alzheimer's epidemic will cost this nation $20 trillion in tax payer dollars unless government intervention changes "the Alzheimer trajectory."

"Alzheimer's - with its broad ranging impact on individuals, families, Medicare and Medicaid - has the power to bring the country to its financial knees," said Robert J. Egge, vice president of Public Policy of the Alzheimer's Association.

That's because almost half of all Alzheimer costs are paid by Medicare, says the report. One in every six Medicare dollars, today, is spent on caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease. For every $100 the government spends on Alzheimer research, it spends more than $25,000 for Alzheimer and dementia patient care.

The report says that if researches could delay the disease five years, the public costs would be reduced by 45 percent.

Then, think of the private cost savings. That would be five less years of caregiver stress. Five less years of adult diapers and day care. Five less years of providing around the clock care for an estimated 10 million people, who will succumb to the disease by 2050.

And five more years of being with the person you love, not the moody, combative patient who has no reason, no memory and no hope.

Support research funding for Alzheimer's disease, before your family is hit with the cost. It will be a bargain.

Guidelines Allow Earlier Definition of Alzheimer's

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/health/19alzheimer.html?_r=1

Generation Alzheimer's

http://alz-news.org/

On this Good Friday, I considered, who would want a bad Friday?

All elder abuse victims want a good Friday. The millions who are neglected, who are laying in their own waste, waiting for someone to clean them up want a good Friday. The millions who are being intimidated and beaten by their family or caregivers, want good Friday. Those who were financially exploited to the point of financial hardship, want a good Friday. Those suffering sexual abuse, want a good Friday.

How can we give them a good Friday, Saturday, Sunday and every other day of the week? How can we relieve their suffering at the hand of abuse?

First, we must believe. We must believe that every Friday, frail men and women are sexually assaulted. That they are so neglected that they develop pressure sores to the bone, because of caregiver neglect. We must believe that every Friday, millions of dollars are being stolen from seniors by financial exploitation of greedy family, investment counselors and con artists.

We must believe that every Friday, a dementia patient pushes his caregiver to the brink of abuse. We must believe that every Friday, some of those caregivers can't hold back any longer.

We must feel the pain of those victims, until action is our only relief.

Do the easy stuff. Like the Tennessee Vulnerable Abuse Coalition and this blog, Plain Talk on Aging Fan Page, on Facebook. Share the posts. Raise awareness among your friends and families. Follow @TNagendisable on Twitter. If there is a great share, post it on StumbleUpon, Digit and the other networking sites. Give the victims of abuse, a voice.

Do something a little harder. Click on this link http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stampoutelderabuse/ and sign the "Stamp Out Elder Abuse" petition, sponsored by the Elder Financial Protection Network, Tennessee Commission of Aging and Disability and the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition. The petition calls for President Barack Obama and Congress to issue an elder abuse stamp, whose proceeds would fund elder abuse programs. It calls for President Obma to issue a proclamation in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and to consider lighting the White House purple. Give the victims of abuse, recognition.

Do some heavy lifting. Contact your legislators and ask them to support funding of the Elder Justice Act. Find your representative by clicking on this link http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml . Donate to elder abuse organizations http://preventelderabuse.org/. Give victims of abuse, political power.

Do it to make Fridays good again for these victims.

Surveillance video of elder woman attacked

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/120396874.html

I was visiting an elder friend yesterday, who wanted to hear all about my children and family. I would tell a little bit, which would remind her of a story. She'd ask another question, and somewhere into the answer, she would take over again, being reminded of something else in her past.

Her daughter was annoyed. "You asked a question. Let her answer. You keep talking."

It was ok with me. I hadn't been around her for more than 30 years, so I hadn't heard these stories 1,000 times. I wasn't in a hurry. The point of the story didn't really matter, to me. I just enjoyed being with her and listening.

The elderly lady in the attached story was not as fortunate. Her relative couldn't take the constant chatter and beat her, according to the report.

Elders need someone to listen. They have wants and needs and fears that need to be aired. Old stories that need to be repeated. Hard learned lessons that are still relevant.

Younger people don't have the time to listen. They don't have time to let the elder think at his own pace, tell the story, according to his memory and to sit still until it is over.

This is why scammers are so successful. They are friendly to the senior and sympathetic. They listen. They care. They are the best friend that the senior doesn't have any more. And in between the listening and bonding time, the scammer gives instruction on how to wire money out of the country.

Seniors need someone to listen. Someone to care. Someone to share their precious time with them.

Don't let scammers be your senior's only friend and confidante. Don't lose control, like the lady in the article. Find a circle of friends who haven't heard the stories. Find some respite, that serves you both.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8090970

What do former First Lady Laura Bush, comedian Seth Rogan, Leeza Gibbons, Maria Shriver, football star Terrell Owens and Ron Reagan have in common? They are a handful, of the millions of people, whose lives are touched by Alzheimer's disease.

All will discuss how Alzheimer's disease has affected their lives on the Larry King special, "Unthinkable: the Alzheimer's Epidemic", airing Sunday, May 1 at 8 p.m. EDT on CNN.

What exactly does touched by Alzheimer's mean? Touch is a word that infers minimal contact. After all, when you reach out your finger and touch your computer screen, it doesn't hurt. It doesn't change your routine. It doesn't make you cry. It doesn't cause your family stress.

To touch, used as a verb, means to "have an effect on". Synonyms listed include affect, arouse, carry and soften. These words don't really express what Alzheimer's disease does to families, who are "touched" by it.

The synonym "disturb" is more clear in its meaning, as in "they are a handful, of the millions of people, whose lives are disturbed by Alzheimer's." Disturbed is a better description of aggression, agitation and confusion Alzheimer's patients display.

The synonym "upset" is also a better word, as in "they are a handful, of the millions of people, whose lives are upset by Alzheimer's." They are upset by the loss of their loved one. They are upset by the daily challenges of wandering, sleeplessness and repetitious questions or phrases. They are upset by the loss of reason.

Finally, the synonym strike, is the best word of all, as in "they are a handful, of the millions of people, whose lives were struck by Alzheimer's." The definition is "hit hard." The families are struck by losing their loved one to Alzheimer's. They are struck with with the cold, hard reality of caring for someone who doesn't doesn't remember how to toilet, how to carry on a conversation or how to control thier movement. They are struck, slammed, bashed and all the other synonyms of the word strike, by the scourage of Alzheimer's disease.

The Alzheimer's epidemic is here, with the aging population. Every person will be struck by this disease in some way. Watch Larry King discuss this disease on Sunday. Learn more before it strikes your family.

http://www.alz.org/index.asp

http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/18/cnn-presents-a-larry-king-special/

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/04/25/shriver.alzheimers.excerpt/

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/04/25/gibbons.alzheimers/index.html?iref=obinsite

TVAC HOME PAGE

The statistics, from the following six articles about elderly assaults, tell the story.

It took 10 perpetrators to beat seven elderly victims. Of the seven, two were beaten to death. Five of the seven were victims of robbery. One of the beating deaths was during the commission of a robbery. The perpetrators got away with $18.

One of the beating deaths was the result of an elderly man, who opened his door to assist a woman, who was being beaten by another man. The woman, and the other man, turned on this good Samaritan and stomped him to death.

Out of the 10 perpetrators, three were women. One was a granddaughter, who assisted in the robbery and beating of her grandmother for drugs out of the medicine cabinet.

One assault resulted in the elder's car being stolen, so the perpetrator could get away. One assault, where the senior was hit in the head with a 2x4 board, resulted in 60 stitches, but nothing was taken.

Seven of the perpetrators were looking for drugs, or money to buy drugs. Three of the perpetrators just beat the hell out of two seniors, who were in their way. One of those seniors died.

Seniors are going to be targeted. They are targets because they are weak. They are targeted because they are ill and need drugs that addicts seek. They are targeted because they have money. They are targeted because of all of the above.

Understand criminal targets. Understand your vulnerability. Believe that perpetrators are out there, scanning the environment, looking for an easy target.

Be aware of your surroundings. Don't get close to domestic disputes. If you want to help, call the police, behind your locked door. Don't assume a woman won't hurt you. Better to be safe than a target.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9031629

http://www.kpic.com/news/local/120698649.html

http://www.abc6onyourside.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wsyx_vid_10587.shtml

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380386/New-York-couple-face-murder-charges-stomping-elderly-man-death.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/staten_island/pair_held_in_si_elder_slay_ZaNC7XiTRvweEKthtFxA0I

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/crime/police-elderly-man-beaten-and-bound-in-apartment-04272011

Community foundations, community roots, community traditions, and community values.

Those are the legacies older Americans have bequeathed to the fabric that makes American communities, what they are today and what they will be tomorrow.

The theme of this "Older Americans Month" , celebrated each year in May, is spotlights the community contributions made by those, 60 and older, which are the bedrock on which future generations continue to build.

It was the World War II generation, those 80-somethings, who transformed this country from an rural agrarian society to the wealthy, urban society we enjoy today. It was the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers, who tackled the social injustices to bring meaning to the Declaration of Independence which it proclaims that "all men are created equal."

It was the unsung heroes, of these generations, who labored without glory or praise, to provide for their families, to create opportunities for their children that were never dreamed of in past generations.

These are the people we salute in the month of May. These are the people who have earned their rest and our respect.

How can we repay our elders, for their efforts and accomplishments of the past?

We need to embrace them in the community. We need to make room for the elderly. We don't need to curse them, with impatience, when they are driving slowly down the road. We don't need to tap our toes, when they are holding up the line, to hand write a check.

We need to have places for them to go, so they can remain active and social, as long as possible. We need to keep them in the comfort of their own homes, when they need assistance.

We need to keep their money in their own pockets, not in the hands of those who financially exploit. We need to keep them safe from abusers.

We need to take action.

Do the easy stuff. Like the Tennessee Vulnerable Abuse Coalition and this blog, Plain Talk on Aging Fan Page, on Facebook. Share the posts. Raise awareness among your friends and families. Follow @TNagendisable on Twitter. If there is a great share, post it on StumbleUpon, Diggit and the other networking sites. Give the victims of abuse, a voice.

Do something a little harder. Click on this link : http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stampoutelderabuse/ and sign the "Stamp Out Elder Abuse" petition, sponsored by the Elder Financial Protection Network, Tennessee Commission of Aging and Disability and the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition. The petition calls for President Barack Obama and Congress to issue an elder abuse stamp, whose proceeds would fund elder abuse programs. It calls for President Obma to issue a proclamation in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and to consider lighting the White House purple. Give the victims of abuse, recognition.

Do some heavy lifting. Contact your legislators and ask them to support funding of the Elder Justice Act. Find your representative by clicking on this link http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml . Donate to elder abuse organizations http://preventelderabuse.org/. Give victims of abuse, political power.

"Older Americans: Connecting the Community" seeks to pay homage to the many ways older adults have contributed to their communities, during "Older Americans Month" observed during May.

The frail man you see in your neighborhood, getting his mail, was once a community leader, whether he held office, ran a business or simply provided for his family through his hard work. The elder lady, riding that power chair, once held the important position of

Teamwork is a combination of mutual respect, communication and cooperation, former University of Tennessee football coach Phil Fulmer said.

Speaking today, at the Upper Cumberland Adult Abuse Conference in Chapel Hill, TN, Fulmer gave tips that transcend the game of football and apply to everyday life, including caregivers and their care receivers.

"If you are on a team, act like you're on a team," Fulmer said. "So you have to communicate."

He relayed a story about the first meeting he attended, and could not understand the conversation because of all the acronyms and abbreviations that were used. "It's easy to confuse people," Fulmer said. "Communicate so there is no misunderstanding."

He said good communication is important to avoid internal conflict on the team. "You will not be successful with internal conflict," he said.

Fulmer said he was known as a player's coach, but that did not mean he was soft on the team. "It meant that we had mutual respect. Respect goes both ways and you can't give it. You've got to win it," he said.

Fulmer said to be generous with praise. "Praise loudly and criticize quietly." He said he would always praise in a group but criticize in private.

He said you have to be willing to take constructive criticism to help the team. Fulmer said sometimes he would have an opinion about how something was to be done, but would listen to constructive criticism, and sometimes find that he was wrong.

Finally, Fulmer said, "If it's not working, make a change."

He told about coaching quarterback Peyton Manning, during his time at UT and the team left behind after Manning's graduation. The next quarterback was Tee Martin. "That team loved Tee and would not let him fail," Fulmer said. "They had to make changes to fit Tee and they went to the national championship."

So how does this relate to caregiving?

You are a team, so act like it. It is not all on one player to win the game. It is up to the team; the caregiver and receiver.

Communicate. It is easy to confuse each other, so be open and honest. Communicate so there is no misunderstanding or hurt feelings.

Accept constructive criticism. Remember, you are on a team. Both want everything to flow. Nobody wants obstacles. Work through the obstacles and take and give criticism that is constructive and made only to improve the process, not to control or dominate the team.

Don't let your team fail. Love each other enough to pull through the hard times and lift up during the good times.

And if something doesn't work, change it. Do it for the good of the caregiving team.

Making sense of life is the final "life stage" a person will go through, when he reaches maturity or old age, said Dr. James Powers, medical director of the Vanderbilt Senior Care Services.

He says that the "young old", who span to age 75, have developmental tasks of retirement, adjusting to living arrangements and dealing with loss of friends.

"Retirement is a big thing," Powers said at the Conservator Association of Tennessee Spring Conference, held today in Nashville, TN. "You have to decide how you are going to fill that time. Are you going to stay in the workforce? Are you going to volunteer? Are you going to use your skills to help younger workers?"

He said that only five percent of persons, over the age of 65, are in nursing homes, so many are still active in their communities and able to stay in the workforce. However, as the aging process advances, there may be some changes in living arrangements, such as moving to an assisted living facility or in with an adult child.

Elders also must deal with the loss of their friends, peers and spouses. How do they replace the holes left in their lives, with the loss of these relationships?

The Vulnerable Elder, those over age 75, must deal with increasing dependency, which may come with physical and mental decline. They often live alone and may need assistance to continue living in the home, said Powers.

There are also naturally occuring, physical and emotional decline as reserves decline in the aging process. "There is a decrease in bounce back abilities," Powers said.

He said that contrary to common beliefs and myths, that the older people become, the more different and more varied they are. People who are less mobile may have shrunk their world, but are as intelligent as they always were and able to adjust to life changes, if they are included in the conversation.

Aging does not cause people to become irritable and cranky. "If you were a pleasant and happy person in your younger years, you will be a happy older adult," Powers said. "If you were critical and demanding, you will become more so."

He said interest in sex remains high with elder men and women. Powers told of a recently widowed man who reported problems with "his natural desires." He had recently moved into senior citizen high rise, where he was the only man. "He was barraged by the casserole brigade and other things by the ladies in the building," Powers said. "So men and women maintain interest in each other throughout their lives."

The fastest growing age population in the world are those over age 85, with centarians predicted to be 24 percent of the elderly population by the year 2050, according to the census bureau. Powers said that the elderly in third world countries only amount to five percent of those populations, and these numbers will double in the next 25 years, said Powers. Caring for the elderly will press the resources of those countries, just like in the developed countries, he said.

Let us make sense of elders lives in this final life stage, as our country and the world, experiences the aging tsunami. Let us take what we know about aging and its process and prepare for the onslaught of aging issues we will face, as described by Dr. Powers. Let us be awake and prepared.

Make room for elders in our communities, by offering transportation, and assistance so they can remain at home. Offer adult daycare and respite services for families whose elders have dementia.

The population is aging. We must be prepared.

I'm propped up in bed, writing this post, after sleeping in.

I've been traveling in Tennessee this week, supporting Adult Abuse conferences in Columbia and Cookeville and a two day conservator conference in Nashville. It was great, but sapped my reserves, so I skipped yesterday's post and went to sleep. And slept in this morning. And will probably have a nap, later today.

I work full time and am caregiver to my husband, who suffered a stroke which left him paralyzed on his right side and . I have a lot of responsibilities that don't get done, unless I do them. They are never-ending.

Never-ending. That's the word. The responsibilities are always there, so I have no problem taking time for me. And the number one thing I do for me, is sleep.

The floors will always need swept. The toilets always need cleaned. The flower beds always need weeding. Groceries need shopped and put away. And I just remembered that my car is 2,000 miles overdue for service. I can handle all this better, when I've had enough sleep.

The caregiver is the captain of the ship. The caregiver must have enough strength and mental capacity to get through all the daily duties that fall on their shoulders, to keep the good home ship afloat. If the caregiver goes down, the ship goes down.

Keep the captain of the ship rested and refreshed. An hour or two extra sleep may seem like a luxury, but it is really the fuel that keeps you going. Sleep for your family. Sleep for you care receiver.

Sleep for you. You deserve it.

Grandma's medicine cabinet is the prime reason grandchildren have for visiting , based on a recent episode of "Whitest Kids U Know", a satire comedy for the 18 to 25, and 13 to 17 year-old demographic.

It was a music video of grandchildren being bored while visiting grandma in theold folks home until they discovered OxyContin. Then, every grandma, grandpa and grandchild was rocking down to an OxyContin high. I only wish I could remember the lyric. If I find it, I will definitely post.

Grandkids aren't the only people interested in an elder's medicine cabinet. Adult children, friends, neighbors and teenagers also enjoy Xanax, Ritalin, Vicodin, and Valium , as well as OxyContin, which is used for terminal cancer patients and chronic pain sufferers.

A good looking woman came over to visit a lonely man, every day, until he found she was stealing his son's Adderal. "She always had to go to the bathroom, and I never heard it flush," he said. "I finally counted the pills."

If you have a loved one in a nursing home with a morphine patch, monitor to insure he receives that needed pain relief. Check the patches to insure nobody has cut them open and stolen the medication.

A drug addict does not care about the pain a cancer patient feels. He does not care about the debilitating anxiety someone may suffer. The addict does not care about anything or ailment, except his own.

Be aware of your medications. Help monitor your elders' medications. Know who is coming to visit and why.

/http://www.10news.com/health/16669770/detail.html

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/operation-medicine-cabinet-drug-collection-is-saturday/1166106

Two new online caregiver resources will be boost to the millions who are providing unpaid care services for loved ones suffering from debilitating disease.

The first, http://www.caregiver.va.gov/index.asp provides a resource index of those caregiver benefits provided by the Veterans' Administration, including the new primary Family Caregiver program for post 9/11 veterans who elect to receive care in their home.

Eligible primary Family Caregivers can receive a stipend, training, mental health services, and access to health insurance if they are not already covered by a plan. Persons interested in the program may download the application (VA CG 10-10) at www.caregiver.va.gov.

This means that the primary Family Caregiver can get paid for taking care of the disabled veteran at home. This means that if the primary Family Caregiver had to quit his job to care for the veteran, it won't be such a financial struggle for the family.

VA programs for Veterans and their Family Caregivers include:

o In-Home and Community Based Care: This includes skilled home health care, homemaker home health aide services, community adult day health care and Home Based Primary Care.

o Respite Care: Designed to relieve the Family Caregiver from the constant challenge of caring for a chronically ill or disabled Veteran at home, respite services can include in-home care, a short stay in one of VA s community living centers or an environment designed for adult day health care.

o Caregiver education and training programs: VA currently provides multiple training opportunities which include pre-discharge care instruction and specialized caregiver programs in multiple severe traumas such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Spinal Cord Injury/Disorders, and Blind Rehabilitation. VA has a Family Caregiver assistance healthy living center on My HealtheVet, www.myhealth.va.gov, as well as caregiver information on the VA s main Web page health site; both Websites include information on VA and community resources and Caregiver health and wellness.

o Caregiver support groups and other services: Family Caregiver support groups, offered in a face to face setting or on the telephone, provide emotional and peer support, and information. Family Caregiver services include family counseling, spiritual and pastoral care, family leisure and recreational activities and temporary lodging in Fisher Houses.

o Other services: VA provides durable medical equipment and prosthetic and sensory aides to improve function, financial assistance with home modification to improve access and mobility, and transportation assistance for some Veterans to and from medical appointments.

Alzheimer's and dementia resource

The second is Care Crossroads http://carecrossroads.org/cms/index.php , which provides a virtual support group to those caregivers of Alzheimers and dementia patients in the form of online support groups, teleconferences, discussion boards and creative contributions.

Users can talk interactively, via Skype, with Alzheirmers Foundation of America social workers and other professionals regarding questions, concerns, resources and information regarding their particular circumstances.

The site also features a "House of Care" where users can click on any room or the yard to receive advice on behavior issues, safety considerations and activities for the Alzheimers patient.

The goal of both resources is to lighten the caregiver's load, to reduce caregiver stress and feelings of being overwhelmed and hopelessness. Unpaid family caregivers are a national resource and treasure. The country must ensure that these persons receive the support and help they need to care for America's aging population.

Use these resources and others. Your care receiver needs you. Get the help you need to provide quality care for your loved one.

http://www.caregiver.va.gov/index.asp

http://carecrossroads.org/cms/index.php

Beaten, restrained, deprived of food and drugs; these are a few of the abuses assisted living residents endured while the State of Florida failed to protect them with proper inspections and revocation of licenses, according to an investigative report by the Miami Herald and WLRN, an NPR affiliate.

Investigative reporters, in the series, "Neglected to Death" spent a year examining thousands of state inspections, police reports, court cases, autopsy files, e-mails, death certificates and conducting dozens of interviews with operators and residents across the state.

Findings included that nearly once a month, residents die from abuse and neglect, with caretakers altering and forging records to conceal evidence and the homes' operators routinely use illegal restraints to control residents, including tranquilizers, locked closets and ropes, without state sanctions

Deaths caused by neglect include:

A 74-year-old woman who was so tightly bound by restraints, it tore her skin and killed her.

A 71-year-old man with mental illness who died from burns after he was left in a bathtub filled with scalding water.

A 71-year-old woman with mental illness wandered from her bed and drowned in a nearby pond while the owner/operator slept during an overnight shift.

It was reported that operators withheld food, water and medicine from the residents, which resulted in deaths. It was reported that residents were forced to live without air conditioning, when outside temperatures reached 100 degrees. It was reported that threats from an operator kept state inspectors from going back to the facility. It was reported that despite finding violations, severe enough to close 70 facilities, the state only closed seven.

These abuses were allowed to continue after state inspections. These abuses are only being addressed, after this investigative report was published.

This is what goes on behind closed doors, if you leave operators alone. This is what goes on behind doors, when you have operators who are only concerned about the bottom line. This is what happens to our most vulnerable citizens when people don't care.

Show the world you care about our seniors. Show the world you will stand up for the frail, the weak, the voiceless.

Do the easy stuff. Like the Tennessee Vulnerable Abuse Coalition and this blog, Plain Talk on Aging Fan Page, on Facebook. Share the posts. Raise awareness among your friends and families. Follow @TNagendisable on Twitter. If there is a great share, post it on StumbleUpon, Digit and the other networking sites. Give the victims of abuse, a voice.

Do something a little harder. Click on this link http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stampoutelderabuse/ and sign the "Stamp Out Elder Abuse" petition, sponsored by the Elder Financial Protection Network, Tennessee Commission of Aging and Disability and the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition. The petition calls for President Barack Obama and Congress to issue an elder abuse stamp, whose proceeds would fund elder abuse programs. It calls for President Obma to issue a proclamation in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and to consider lighting the White House purple. Give the victims of abuse, recognition.

Do some heavy lifting. Contact your legislators and ask them to support funding of the Elder Justice Act. Find your representative by clicking on this link http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml . Donate to elder abuse organizations http://preventelderabuse.org/. Give victims of abuse, political power.

If you don't help these victims, who will?

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/30/2194842/once-pride-of-florida-now-scenes.html

Imagine giving a trusted relative the keys to your bank, for safekeeping, and in return he spends your whole life savings, but for $200.

This is the circumstance of the victims in the story below. The couple gave power of attorney to their son and daughter-in-law, to handle their financial affairs. In return, the daughter-in-law spent $119,481, their entire life savings, within one year. Many of the ATM withdrawals were done at local race tracks.

Husband, the couple's son, was not charged. He left all the financial matters for his wife to handle.

Power of attorney (POA) is a legal document to allow someone else to act on their behalf, regarding financial matters, by accessing bank accounts, selling property and paying bills. Abuse occurs when the designated POA oversteps the stated duties in the document, and intentionally or unintentionally, takes advantage of the opportunity to exploit the victim.

The AARP Public Policy Institute "Power of Attorney Abuse: What States Can Do About it", the second link, states that the three categories of POA abuse are transactions that exceed the scope of authority, such as making gifts when the document does not grant that authority; Transactions conducted for self-dealing purposes, such as buying a car for themselves, rather than paying bills for the benefit of the victim; and transactions conducted in contravention of the principals' expectations, such as when the agent has gift-making authority, but gives excessive gifts that deplete the estate.

The POA document makes it easy to exploit the vulnerable adult because there is broad decision-making authority, lack of monitoring and unclear standards for agent conduct. There is also a lack of awareness of the risk of exploitation, delayed detection of abuse, and once the money is gone, it is unlikely to be repaid, in the victim's lifetime.

The AARP report recommends that states adopt the Uniform Power of Attorney Act, which has 21 provisions to protect against abuse and promote autonomy. Included are provisions that govern liability for agents who violate the law, circumstance under which a third party may refuse to accept a POA, and sanctions for unlawful refusal.

POA abuse is rampant and leaving our seniors in poverty. When all the assets are spent, victims go on Medicaid, costing taxpayers millions.

We must protect our seniors from the financial exploitation that springs from POA abuse. Our states need to revamp their POA laws to mirror the model uniform law to increase protection elder's funds. The laws must have the muscle to punish offenders in a way to send a message to others, who may follow.

The message should be loud and clear: Society does not tolerate theft from our most vulnerable citizens, through POA abuse.

http://www.timesonline.com/news/local_news/ohioville-woman-accused-of-stealing-nearly-from-in-laws/article_080d7cc1-00f4-5afe-a388-b6606c801baa.html

http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/consume/2008_17_poa.pdf

Medicare, the health care plan for millions of elders, will run out of money by 2024 without intervention, as the slow growing economy saps revenues, according to a government report.

The Social Security retirement program will deplete its funds by 2036, the report said.

The oldest baby boomers, born in the year 1946, will be 78-years-old in 2026; the youngest, born in 1964, will be 62, when Medicare funds are exhausted.

The oldest boomers will be 90, when Social Security funds are estimated to be gone. The youngest boomers will be 72.

This means when one in eight baby boomers, age 55 and older, will have Alzheimer's disease and one in six will have another form of dementia, there won't be any medical insurance to rely on. This means that, when the fastest growing age group is 80 and older, there won't be any retirement funds to support them.

The aging tsunami is here and the waves will buckle the entitlement programs until they are washed out to sea.

Government intervention and changes in the current payout system are hot topics in the slash and burn legislative culture today. If you want to save these programs, you need to be prepared to pay somehow, somewhere.

The cheapest way is to stay healthy. Don't succumb to the lifestyle diseases of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The fewer people who suck the system dry with lifestyle diseases, the more money there is for the unfortunate few who have no choice in the matter, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients.

Your lifestyle choices become everyone's problem when you become disabled from smoking, over-eating, and drug and alcohol abuse. And the system, as it is today, can't afford it.

It will be up to your children and grandchildren to pick up the tab if Medicare goes under and there is no Social Security for financial support. What burden will you leave them?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43023843/ns/politics-more_politics/

The thrill of winning big in Jamaican sweepstakes turned to bone-chilling fear for an elderly California couple, when scammers repeatedly threatened to come and kill them if they didn't continue to send money.

The couple, in their 80s, believed them, and wired thousands of dollars to the scammers, who coached them on how to get around interdiction lists, a tool used by Western Union to stop consumer fraud. If a certain number of transactions above the $1000 level are sent to "hot countries" of scams, Western Union agents refuse the transaction.

"They were told to switch two letters in their names," said Denise Jaworski, a vice president in Western Union. "We found we had interdicted their names 19 times."

And when Western Union wouldn't make the wire transfer, the couple was instructed, by the scammer, to use Moneygram.

All this was discovered after their daughter went to the California Attorney General's office seeking help, because she could not get her parents to stop wiring money to the scammers.

Pull the plug on scammers, and their empty threats to your loved ones. Change telephone numbers. Disconnect the landline. Ask the postal inspector to hold mail full of sweepstakes offeres. Get power of attorney, and take control of the finances.

And consider that research shows the first sign of dementia is poor financial decisions.

Get a dementia screening to see if you need to take control of the elder's finances by conservatorship.

A scammer will suck the bank account dry and leave you to deal with the devastation. Step in and help, before it is too late.

http://www.scambusters.org/top10scams2.html

The "Stamp out elder abuse" petition, found at http://stampoutelderabuse.org/ , calls for the United States to recognize elder abuse as a growing crisis. Elders are being deprived of food and water today. Elder's, who have no capacity to move, are so neglected that bedsores develop to the bone and become maggot infested suffer this today.

Elder's, who are losing their capacity to understand, are being scammed out of their life savings, forcing them on public benefits for the rest of their lives.

Elders who are beaten. Elders intimidated by abusive caregivers, who say, "I'll just put you in the nursing home."

It is urgent that you take the few seconds to sign the "Stamp out Elder Abuse" petition http://stampoutelderabuse.org/ for these millions of people.

Starting now, I will give you 30 reasons countdown as to why signing the "Stamp Out Elder Abuse" petition is urgent to you.

It is really only 29 days until June 15, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, when the international community pauses to recognize the horrendous abuse our elders suffer every day. However, I like even numbers. So, you get 30 reasons and today, are the first two.

30. 30 million members of the Silent Generation who are in or approaching the older old age of 75 and older. Research shows that 50 percent of persons who survive to be age 80 will have some cognitive impairment, making them vulnerable to physicall and financial abuse.

Who do you know in that age bracket? Mother or father? Sister or brother? Grandparents? Who do you know that you want to protect?

29. The 123 million baby boomers in the younger old age, who are in or approaching the younger old age of 60 to 75.

Compare 30 million to 123 million. When the baby boomers age into Alzheimer's and dementia, one in eight of the population will be addressing the issue of Alzheimer's. If you think the system is overloaded now, just you wait.

Show you care about our elders. Your signature counts.

http://stampoutelderabuse.org/

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/17/2220528/man-accused-of-neglecting-his.html

Times are hard and seniors need economic help.

That's the underlying message of Wider Opportunities for Women, www.wowonline.org's Elder Economic Standard Index.

The Elder Index is a tool that measures the income that elder adults require to maintain their independence, including affordable, appropriate housing and healthcare. It doesn't measure abject poverty; it promotes a measure of income older adults need to maintain autonomy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 annual estimates suggest that the costs of goods and services are rapidly outpacing inflation adjustments for policies and programs: a 5.5% increase for home energy; a 5.7% increase for good; and a 34% increase in gasoline.

Whereas, in 2009, seniors received a 5.8% increase in their Social Security payments. In 2010, they received no increase.

According Elder Economic Index, Social Security provides an elderly homeowner, only 81% of the income required for economic security.

If the elder must rent, that amount falls to only 63% of the income required for economic.

That means the one in three seniors, who rely on Social Security for 90% of their income, is falling behind due to rising costs and a fixed income. That means when the bills come due, hard decisions are being made, around the tables of those one in three.

Those one in three, who worked all their lives, are making choices between food, prescription medicine and heat.

The Elder Index is to show those one in three seniors, that they need help. That it's not just a rainy day, but a torrential storm of economic bad news that will threaten their security, if they don't seek help.

Believe that seniors go hungry. Believe seniors go without medicine. Believe that seniors go cold. Believe that seniors go without these basic necessities and more, every day.

If you know a senior, struggling to get by on Social Security, encourage him to reach out for help. Encourage him to apply for Food Stamps, Low Income Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), the low income subsidy of Medicare Part D, Medicare Savings and other programs that can help him achieve income adequacy.

Learn more at:

http://www.wowonline.org

www.stampoutelderabuse.org

We are at number 27 as to reasons why you should sign the Stamp Out Elder Abuse petition, found at www.stampoutelderabuse.org.

27. Physical abuse

The three stories below, focus on physical abuse that our vulnerable population. Think about using an 80-something-year-old as a punching bag, and you have one aspect of the physical abuse millions of elder suffer through each day.

In the story below, residents in a condo community called police when they found an 89-year-old woman with bruises on her face, who looked as if she had been beaten. She was unable to give a statement to police as to who did this to her. Her caretaker was charged with neglect for failing to provide medical care.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/may/18/caretaker-arrested-on-neglect-charges-after-89/

The story below, just details the arrest of a 57-year-old man who punched his 84-year-old mother in the face, and breaking her nose. No other details were offered as to why he lost his cool with his mother.

http://www.wthitv.com/dpp/news/crime/son-accused-of-beating-elderly-mother

Finally, the following story tells about a woman who slipped a note to a delivery driver, saying that her son was threatening to kill her.

"I need help. My son, Carl, wants to kill me," the note read. "I can't use the phone. He took the it from me. If I call, I will be dead before they get here."

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-plainfield-mom-threats-20110518,0,7215976.story

Stories like these are too common. They are stories of abusive caretakers. They are stories of abusive children or family members. They are stories that happen every day, here in the United States.

How are we going to deal with these issues, after the aging population as doubled in 10 years? Where can these victims go, after their caretaker is gone due to abuse? How can we help these victims be safe and secure in their own homes?

How are we going to screen caretakers, to insure they won't be physically abusive to our most vulnerable population? How are we going to train them to keep their cool, when the elder pushes their buttons?

All these questions must be answered. They must be answered soon.

Part of the answer is funding of the Elder Justice Act. Part of the answer is raising awareness on the issue of elder abuse.

Do your part to raise awareness. Sign the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Believe the problem is real. Believe it can be fixed, with intervention. Believe that your signature matters.

Please sign at www.stampoutelderabuse.org.

We the citizens of the United States of America respectfully request that our President and Congress enact legislation that would authorize the United States Postmaster General to issue an Elder Abuse semipostal stamp; and,

We call upon Congress to fund the Elder Justice Act of 2010.

The citizens of the United States of America, respectfully urge the President to issue a proclamation recognizing June 15, 2011 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and consider lighting the White House Purple on this date.

http://stampoutelderabuse.org/

We need your help. We need your signature. Your signature matters to millions the millions of abused elders in this nation.

Reason 28 as to why you should take the few seconds to sign this

http://stampoutelderabuse.org/ petition.

28. Home and community based services (HCBS)

With aging tsunami upon us, there will be a record numbers of elders in their homes, receiving care.

In today's news, an HCBS caretaker was arrested for the sexual assault of an 84-year-old woman, as he provided personal care of bathing and therapeutic massage.

http://missionviejo.patch.com/articles/caretaker-arrested-for-alleged-attempted-rape-of-80-year-old

In the following story, a caregiver met two disabled women online and convinced them to let him be there Medicaid paid caregiver. He left one woman alone, for long periods of time, and billed the state for services. He was found guilty of assault on one of the women,

http://www.kval.com/news/health/121575534.html

The in-home caregiver, in the following story, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her charges, and used the money to pay for vacations, toys and sessons with a dog whisperer.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/-299359--.html

And background checks are the answer to the problem. In the following story, there is a case cited in which the check was done, but the caretaker's records were all under aliases.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Background-checks-on-health-aides-not-always-full-1370281.php

Are these the people you want to care for you, or your family members, when it is time to consider HCBS, to keep you home? How will you know who to hire, if background checks are inadequate today? How are we, as a society, going to protect these vulnerable adults from assaults and thefts, happening in their own home?

These are issues that must be dealt with today, not when the floodgates to the aging tsunami have already been opened.

Please help with your support, by signing the http://stampoutelderabuse.org/

online petition. Show the world you care about our elders.

http://stampoutelderabuse.org/

Only one out of 23.5 elder abuse cases are reported authorities, says the final report on the prevalance of elder abuse in New York, which was released this week.

Only one in 43.9 cases of financial exploitation, the most prevalent form of elder mistreatment, are reported to authorities, states the report entitled "Under the Radar: New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study Self-Reported Prevalence and Documented Case Surveys," conducted by Lifespan in Rochester, NY.

In cases of neglect, the study found that only one out of 57.2 cases were reported to authorities.

While, emotional and psychological abuse is the most common form of abuse reported by authorities, followed by physical abuse.

The report states that approximately one in 13 persons, age 60 and older, which is 7.6 percent of the aging population suffers from one form of elder abuse.

Let's do the math. Based on those self-reporting numbers, out of the 307 million elders, age 60 and above, in the population today, 22 million are suffering some form of abuse today. Of those, only 23.5 percent, or 5.1 million reported abuse to authorities.

That leave 16.9 million who suffer in silence. They have no voice.

Be the voice for those abuse victims. Take a few seconds and sign the petition, found at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Raise awareness of the plight many seniors are facing today. Raise awareness about the onslaught of abuse cases to come when the aging population doubles in 2030.

For more information, see:

http://www.lifespan-roch.org/documents/UndertheRadar051211.pdf.

Reason 26 as to why you should sign the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org: Children who neglect their parents

Neglect is defined at a caregiver's failure of refusal to provide for a vulnerable elder's safety, physical or emotional needs. The caregiver, in the story below, neglected her OWN MOTHER, by depriving her of food and medical needs, until her death, when she weighed 54 pounds.

The abuse was only discovered, when paramedics came to the house and found the 5-foot-5 woman, emaciated down to skin and bones. An overwhelming smell of urine permeated the house and her nightgown, bedding and carpet around the bed were soiled.

Her daughter, sentenced to 12-years in prison, pleaded for mercy. The sentencing judge responded, "I have no mercy for you. You didn't give any mercy to your mother."

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20110519-wylie-woman-gets-12-years-for-mothers-death-in-extraordinarily-terrible-neglect-case.ece

The 84-year-old mother, in the following story, was found living in a backyard toolshed, compliments of her son. She was found malnourished, dehydrated and had a worm burrowing into her neck. She was discovered, only after police arrived in response to a landlord-tenant dispute, which did not involve her.

Her son told police he moved his mother to the shed, in order to rent out her room.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/17/2220528/man-accused-of-neglecting-his.html

The 54-year-old son, in this last story, was arrested for beating his father after denying him food. The 93-year-old father, whose legs were amputated because of an earlier illness, suffered subdural bleeding on the brain from the beating.

http://www.whiotv.com/news/27805576/detail.html

Not all elderly people live in a home where they are loved and treasured. Many suffer horrendous neglect, at the hands of their own children. They are deprived food, water, medicine. They are deprived of clean clothes and bedding. They are deprived of humane living conditions. They are deprived of someone who cares.

Please care about these abuse victims. Take a few seconds and sign the petition, found at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Give these victims a voice. Show them you care.

We continue on with our countdown to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, with Reason 25, as to why you should sign the www.stampoutelderabuse.org petition: Relatives who steal from their elder kin

The first article details how the victim's 38-year-old grandson used her credit to buy four homes, worth $2.5 million, a Mercedes Benz, a Hummer and $14,000 worth of furniture.

He refinanced the homes and walked away with $100,000 in equity, leaving the homes to fall into foreclosure. The Mercedes was repossessed and the grandmother's life savings evaporated.

When she questioned her grandson, he replied by email, "Yes, your credit will be screwed up for a year, but what do you need to buy?"

http://www.9news.com/news/article/199280/339/Man-charged-with-spending-grandmas-life-savings

The loving relatives in the next story, were convicted of stealing $1 million from their 80-year-old aunt, for whom they were caring. Purchases included a pleasure boat, motor home, motor vehicles, clothes, trips and college tuition.

Under the perpetrator's management, the account declined by $300,000 per year, leaving only $5,000 at the time of their conviction.

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/article/23419/

In the final story, a former police sergeant is charged with stealing $40,000 from his mother for personal expenses, which included a cruise, San Jose sharks ticket, home improvement projects and gifts to her grandchildren.

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20110511/NEWS09/110511023

Elders are being abuse and exploited by those who should be protecting them. These victims have no voice. They have no remedy to make them whole. How can you restore the amount of stolen money, these victims lost, before they die. How do you restore the dignity and independence they not longer have?

Show these and other victims you care. Sign the petition found at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Raise awareness and give these victims a voice. Your signature matters.

Let me repeat that: $10,000 per month.

That's $10,000 per month it costs to keep a team of home care workers caring for an Alzheimer's patient 24/7. A good reason to sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org.

I didn't have to do the math. I got this figure from a fellow attendee at the 18th Annual Elder Abuse Institute, sponsored by Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition.

His mother had Alzheimer's. All the siblings worked and Mama couldn't be left alone. They paid a team of home care workers $8 an hour to enable her to stay in her home. He told me the cost burned through his mother's savings, where there was nothing at her death.

The alternative would be a nursing home, which don't run cheap. Or a system of unpaid family caregivers, who will care for this Alzheimer's patient who has no memory or reason.

The epicenter of the Alzheimer's epidemic in the country, and the world, hits in 10 years, says California state plan author Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose). We'll know it hit when one in eight of all persons, age 55 and older, will have Alzheimer's.

No matter who is caring for the Alzheimer's patient, they will be tested. The caregiver will have to deal with issues from smearing feces, to wandering, to combative behavior. It stressing the most patient caregivers to the breaking point. It will push the less prepared over the line to abuse.

This is what the families of those one in eight will be dealing with.

Please sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for those one in eight. Please raise awareness. Your signature does count.

Here we are at 22 days before World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15. So we are at reason 22 as to why you should sign the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org , which calls for the issuance of an elder abuse stamp, funding for the Elder Justice Act, for President Obama to proclaim June 15 as Elder Abuse Awareness Day and to light the White House purple, the internationally recognized color of elder abuse.

22. Unscrupulous telemarketers

An affirmative answer on the telephone, before you know who is on the line, is opportunity for an unscrupulous telemarketer to record your consent to a sale, said Vivian Wilhoite, outreach coordinator for the Tennessee Regulatory Agency.

An affirmative answer, means answering yes to any question, she said, speaking to members at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition today in Nashville.

"Is that you, Linda?" Willhoite said, as an example. "If you answer, 'yes' ,then they will have a recording of it and put yes in all the right places."

The elderly are at risk for this type of financial exploitation, because they have faced many losses, from spouse, siblings and friends. They are lonely and depressed...Then the friendly, chatty telemarketer calls.

One attendee said that a caller "just flat out" asked for her mother's social security number. "She asked him for his, and he hung up," the woman told the crowd.

Register your telephone number on the "Do Not Call" list and report violations," Wilhoite said. "There is a $10,000 fine per violation. That means $10,000 per phone call."

She said that the TRA enforces "Do Not Call" violations, in Tennessee.

Click here for FAQ s: http://www.tennessee.gov/tra/donotcall/consumerFAQ.htmlyu

To register a phone, click on https://www.donotcall.gov/

However, even if you register the elder's phone, on the "Do Not Call" list, it is the elder who must hang-up and report. Those who are lonely, suffering deep losses and need human contact are the target of unscrupulous telemarketers. Give victims of financial exploitation a voice by signing the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org .

We are counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with reason number 21 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp, for a presidential proclamation for Elder Abuse Day on June 15 and to light the White House purple.

21. Faulty capacity assessments

Anyone who has ever seen 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street" knows the capacity test and how to fail it.

In it, Kris Kringle, a.k.a. Santa Claus, is committed to Bellevue Hospital for the insane, because he intentionally answered the capacity questions wrong, including the name of the current president. The famous scene, in the locked psych unit, shows Kringle looking up at attorney Fred Gaily, believing. "I believe in you. I believe that you are the greatest attorney since Darrow."

Kringle is finally judged to be sane and freed by court order on Christmas Eve.

How many elders are judged to lack capacity because they don't want to answer , what they may perceive, as annoying and repetitive questions?

"Go to hell."

That was the answer Holly Ramsey-Klawsnick's mother gave nosy doctors when she was ill. Dr. Ramsey-Klawsnick, an elder abuse researcher, who spoke at the 18th Annual Elder Abuse Institute, in Nashville, said her mother knew she had some memory deficits and covered by barking at the medical providers. "She told me they backed off."

Other elders are found to be incapacitated because they have been neglected and mistreated. Lack of water and nutrition cause symptoms of dementia, as well as medication, Ramsey-Klawsnick told the group of 200 professionals.

"You have to look at who is wanting the diagnosis and why," she said. "The abuser may be withholding food, water and medication to gain control of the elder's assets. The abuser may be overstating the symptoms, isolating the elder or denying them adaptive devices, such as hearing aids, as to get that dementia diagnosis.

Evaluation problems, include that the test is too brief and crude, clinicians are not trained to test and the client is in crisis or distress. Ramsey-Klawsnick related a story in which a woman was 24-hours post surgery, and suffering pain, when a young intern tried to test her capacity. The woman did not respond, and the intern wrote dementia in her chart.

Later, a relative used that one chart note, to gain conservatorship over the lady and sell all her assets and control her funds.

Dementia is typically progressive, buy most retain capacity in the early stages, and sometimes with fluctuating abilities, said Ramsey-Klawsnick.

A dementia diagnosis requires multiple cognitive deficits, including memory impairment, disturbance in executive functioning, such as planning, organizing or sequencing and at impairment in language, motor activities or recognizing items.

When courts are taking self-determination rights away from others, it needs to be based on a thorough exam, not the answers to a couple of questions which do not reflect the total scope of the elder's abilities.

Don't let abusers use the law to plunder an elder's estate. Give that victim a voice. Sing the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Your signature matters.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 20 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on June 15.

20. Adult Day Care

I never thought of placing a child day care as a safety measure, until I worked for the Tennessee Department of Children's Services.

Placing a child in day care, to keep him in the public eye, is a routine requirement for abusive or neglectful parents to regain custody. Day care provides the opportunity for day care workers, who are mandatory abuse reporters, to keep an eye on the child's well being, who would let authorities know if anything seems amiss.

With the epicenter of the Alzheimer's and dementia epidemic set to hit in just 10 years, adult day care centers may become the new safety net for our most vulnerable adults.

Caring for Alzheimer's and dementia patients is the most stressful of all care giving. You are dealing with a full grown adult, who does not understand the problem. He does not understand why smearing feces creates problems. He does not understand that wandering could get him lost. He does not understand that his repetitious questions got on your last nerve an hour ago. He doesn't understand anything but being in the moment he happens to occupy. It is up to the caregiver to bite their tongue and adjust.

However, one-third of family caregivers admit to crossing the line. They admit to losing their cool. They admit to abusive behavior toward the dementia-impaired family member.

Respite for Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers will be critical. And for those who cross the line, adult day care may be the program that keeps the patient in the home. It will keep him in the public, with a mandatory reporter of abuse and give the caregiver needed time away.

Safe care for the elderly should be a priority, before the epicenter hits. Support funding for Alzheimer's and dementia research. Give our most vulnerable citizens a voice by signing the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 19 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on June 15.

19. The aging baby boomers

Baby boomers, those in the 55-65 age bracket, are the fastest growing age segment in the Chattanooga area, the reporter told me. As Elder Rights Supervisor for the State of Tennessee, what does that mean to me?

I think he was expecting something in the "We're going to be hip grannies and grandpas." Instead, I laid the fear of Alzheimer's and dementia on him. If I didn't, I failed to communicate.

The average shelf life of the human brain is in the 80s, I learned from Dr. Brian Bonferdin, a Johnson City psychiatrist, and lecturer on gereatric pharmacology. "A baby born today has a life expectancy of 100," he said. "So we will be looking at ways to be expanding the shelf life of the brain."

The reporter's response was, "That's scary."

It's especially scary, when you remember that the boomers who will age into dementia, will double those who are age into it now.

I told him that the state plan of California calls for the "epicenter of the Alzheimer's and dementia crisis will be upon us." This is at a time when 78.2 million baby boomers will be aging into the older ages of late seventies, eighties and beyond. Compare to the 34 million of the Silent Generation.

It is this age group we are dealing with right now. It is this 34 million who are advancing into that older old age of 75 and beyond. And if our country can't adequately accommodate this group, as members age into the dementia dominate years of 75 and above, what will we do with twice as many, in 10 more years?

That is when one in eight of us, over age 55 will be directly dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. That means one in eight will be diagnosed, care giving, or coping with the disease.

I told the reporter that we need interventions now, before this tsunami cripples us. I told him that people need to stay healthy and get rid of the lifestyle diseases related to obesity, smoking , alcohol and drug use and a sedentary life.

The lifestyle diseases, lead to vulnerability, as you hand over control of your life to someone else. You have someone else paying your bills, giving you a bath, managing your medication. Each of these and more, gives opportunity to someone to be abusive.

That's what the boomers getting older means, to me, I finished.

We need to acknowledge the problem of elder abuse today, and comprehend the incidences will only increase, as boomer age into the older old age group and the dementia years.

Please sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org. The problem will only continue to expand as the boomers grow older. We need solutions now. Give elder abuse victims a voice. Your signature matters.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 18 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

What does full funding of the Elder Justice Act include? It calls for increased funding for the front line workers of elder abuse, Adult Protective Services (APS). It calls for an increase in APS funding by $16.5 million for those workers, charged with investigating reports of abuse.

These are the workers who go into roach and vermin infested homes, to rescue neglected victims. They are the ones who smell the urine and feces the victims lay in, for days and weeks, until someone makes a report. They are the ones who see the bedsores infested with maggots, because caregivers did not care.

APS workers are also the ones who investigate abuse of elder's social security funds, the primary income for 90 percent of all seniors. They are the ones who find sons who threaten their own mother to get money. They are the ones who find daughters who go on vacation with daddy's nursing home payment. They are the ones who find the devastated elder who must deal with the fact that his children stole all the money he needed to live.

APS workers are the ones who see the bruises and broken bones after an elder is beaten. They are the ones who see the fear after an elder is groped and penetrated by his caregiver, during bath time.

APS workers need thick skin, a big heart and core competencies to do their jobs effectively. including courses entitled "The Aging Process", "Dynamics of Abusive Relationships", and "'Involuntary Case Planning and Intervention".

APS workers are the ones, who in just 10 short years, will be coping with the Alzheimer and dementia crisis as the 72.5 million baby boomers age into the Alzheimer and dementia dominate years.

APS workers will be dealing with the caregiver stress and overload caregivers will surely find, without prevention programs as envisioned in the Elder Justice Act.

They are the ones that the 72.5 million baby boomers want available, in great supply, in just 10 short years.

Please support additional APS funding by signing the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Show APS workers you appreciate the job they do, and acknowledge more is needed. Do it for the APS workers. Do it for the victims. www.stampoutelderabuse.org

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 17 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

17. Dan Wheldon, 2011 Indy 500 Champ and Alzheimer's Association spokesman.

IRL racer Dan Wheldon won his second Indy 500 title, while dedicating the race to his mother , Sue, and the 5.4 million Americans who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Wheldon, who started the race as an unemployed underdog, may be the most appropriate spokesman for the disease, which robs victims of their memories and family members of the person they love. He kept his head in the race, didn't give up, and pulled off an unlikely victory, inspiration for any underdog caregiver whose loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's and dementia will be the defining diseases of the aging baby boomers. Research predicts that in just 10 years, one in eight persons will be dealing with Alzheimer's directly.

Research tells us that of those who live to be in their 60s, 30 percent will have Alzheimer's or a dementia diagnosis. Of those who live to be in their 80s, the percentage rises to half. That means 50 percent will have Alzheimer's or dementia. One out of two.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to loss of memory, thinking and other brain functions. Alzheimer's is not a part of normal aging, but results from a complex pattern of abnormal changes.

Caregiving for an Alzheimer's or dementia sufferer is the most stressful of all. How can you keep a grown adult, with no memory or reason, safe. How do you keep them well fed, occupied and congenial, without losing your own cool?

Sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org in honor of the underdog caregivers of Alzheimer's victims. Sign it in honor of underdog Dan Wheldon. Sign it for that improbable win of stamping out elder abuse.

http://www.indyracing.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/42851-this-oneand-39-s-for-sue-and-millions-of-others/

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 16 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

16. Memorial Day

Memorial Day is to remember those who died in the service of their country. The day to remember those who gave all.

It is a day of reconciliation of the debt owed by our citizens to those who did not come home, in defense of our country. It is a day of thanks and gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy at their expense.

What kind of country did these service men and women sacrifice their very lives? Is it a country who allows our most frail citizens live in filth as they are deprived of food and water? Is it a country where scams and exploitation drains elders of their life savings? Is it a country where elders are treated as poorly as an obsolete computer?

Our service men and women died to protect our seniors. They put their lives on the line, for the American ideal of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They uphold the principles of the Constitution, which guarantee our freedoms, which don't end because we grow old and helpless.

Let us remember our fallen by focusing on the kind of world they sought to protect. A country that honors and protects our elders. A country that won't tolerate abuse of the frail. A country that will stand watch over our most vulnerable.

Please sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org to protect our most vulnerable citizens from abuse. Sign it, as a way to exercise your freedom that our fallen service members protected. Sign it for the kind of country our fallen would have sacrificed their lives. Sign it for our elderly.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 15 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

16. Scam Victims

Scammers target the elderly. They target the elderly to steal their money. There is no other reason, other than to steal as much of the senior's money as he possibly can.

The reasons always told are that elders are polite; they don't hang up because they are lonely, the scammers become their friends, and in threatening cases, their most feared enemy

However, if you add that seniors are in the Alzheimer's and dementia dominate age brackets you have easy pickin's for scammers rake in untold millions.

What are the Alzheimer's and dementia dominate age brackets? Research shows it begins in the 60s, with 30 percent showing some cognitive impairment. Of those who survive to the 80, that number goes up to 50 percent. Alzheimer's and dementia are not lightning bolt striking you down kind of conditions. They are the thief in the night, who steals just a little bit more every day.

This must be considered when deciding the best course of action on scam prevention. Expecting a population, where a significant portion of members are experiencing memory lapses, confusion, and loss of reason. Simply telling them to stop, is not working.

Reporting scams and interviewing victims help many people by keeping them informed. But daily there are stories on scams and an interview of the victim. This kind of intervention is not working for these victims. There must be some other step we can take to stop this kind of financial exploitation.

But we must consider all the issues, not just the easy ones.

Sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org to raise awareness for scam victims. Sign for the Adult Protective Services funding that will protect scam and other abuse victims. Show the world you care about our elderly.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 14 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

.14 Isolation of seniors

Living alone, unable to communicate, and or no access transportation. So disabled, from mobility issues to eyesight so poor, it inhibits access of benefits for healthcare, food and housing. (See also Elder Economic Standard http://tvaconline.org/blog/admin.php?ctrl=items&blog=5&p=110)

These are the isolated seniors, says "Crossing New Frontiers: Benefits Access among Isolated Seniors" an issue brief by th National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment sponsored by the National Council on Aging.

These seniors are generally older, poorer, and more likely experienced a traumatic experience like relocation or the loss of a spouse, than non-isolated seniors, the report says.

Disability, language and geographical barriers prevent seniors from accessing benefits of support that would keep them independent and in the home, says the report.

They are isolated, isolated and economically secure and isolated and economically insecure. More than 13 million in one of these categories. or 17 percent, it says.

Disability the most common barrier with nine in ten or 6.3 million report problems with accessing benefits because of the disability half report physical mental or emotional disability which result in difficulties in the home.

Some 44-percent reported visual difficulties which prevented use of web based or on the phone access to benefits, amounting to 2.9 million persons, it says.

Isolated seniors with limited English have highest rates of those living below poverty level . An estimated 400,000 seniors are isolated with language barriers, Spanish being the most common, the report states.

Rural seniors, who are isolated, lack reliable transportaion and communcation systems which require the means for accessing benefits. The requirement of a wet or original signature from these seniors, who lack transportation may be a barrier to access to benefits.

A disproportionate number of economically insecure, isolated seniors live below the poverty. These are the people who most need help.

If they don't get nutritional help of food stamps or home delivered meals, they become frail and incapacitated. If they don't have energy assistance, they may have to live in frigid cold and unbearable heat. If they don't get the healthcare assistance they need, they could got on the public benefits of Medicaid, at taxpayer expense.

These isolated seniors are at risk of abuse. They are the ones who will self-neglect. They are the onese who will become weak and frail, unable to fend off abuse and intimindation.

They are the ones Adult Protective Services worker will be investigating.

Sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for these isolated seniors. Take the time to show you care. Give these seniors a voice.

http://www.centerforbenefits.org/Isolated_Populations_IB.pdf

economic security index

http://tvaconline.org/blog/admin.php?ctrl=items&blog=5&p=110

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 13 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

13. Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Full funding of the Elder Justice Act calls for an additional $5 million funding the nation's Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman program.

When nursing home residents lay in their own urine for hours, because the facility is understaffed, their only voice is the Ombudsman who visits that facility.

When nursing home residents are involuntarily discharged, sometimes from the only home they have known for years, their only voice is the Ombudsman who visits that facility.

When nursing home residents are so neglected, that they develop pressure sores so deep, that bone and ligament are exposed, their only voice is the Ombudsman who visits that facility.

When nursing home residents' call lights are ignored, in retaliation for complaints regarding their care, their only voice is the Ombudsman who visits that facility.

The Ombudman also deals with cold food, lost clothes, medication. issues...whatever is troubling the resident and represent him, to his satisfaction. The resident's advocate.

Whatever the resident tells the Ombudsman is confidential, so he can feel safe. It is the resident who determines when his secrets can be revealed.

The Ombudsman is to be an advocate for systemic change. The Ombudsman is to educate the community on the program.

The Ombudsman is to educate the community on the program to recruit volunteers. because nursing home residents must rely on a volunteer workforce to ensure they aren't being mistreated.

"I feel safe now." That's what a resident told a Volunteer Ombudsman representative, when she first visited the facility. Safety, comfort, security...That's what the Ombudsman program means to residents, which runs on volunteers.

The Institute of Medicine reports that, with all the responsibilities on the Ombudsman shoulders, there should only be a caseload of 2,000 beds per one paid staff.

We have 54,000 beds and nine paid Ombudsman in Tennessee, the lowest funded program in the nation, one Ombudsman has a ratio of more than 10,000 to one paid staff and goes down from there to 6,000 to one, 4,000 to one, and on down. The work, for one person, is overwhelming.

Volunteer programs are the only way to cover so many people with so few staff. Volunteer reach out to residents still know someone is there for them. Residents in facilities with volunteers, know someone is coming by on a regular basis. Unfortunately, on four percent of Tennessee facilities have volunteers. The residents in the other facilities must call...or wait for the annual Ombudsman visit.

The Tennessee Ombudsman program needs the money. Tennesseans need to value the program enough, to at least sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org. If you ever think you will spend time in a nursing home, for any length of time, sign this petition.

But this is not just a Tennessee problem. Every Ombudsman program in the nation needs the money. Many states sacrificed the Ombudsman program in the recent rounds of budget cuts, so residents across the nation have fewer advocates.

Support funding for the Ombudsman program by signing the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Sign for the residents. Give them a voice.

Learn more at:

http://www.ltcombudsman.org/

See the state of Tennessee's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program:

http://www.tvaconline.org/OmbProg.html

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 12 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

12. Unscrupulous sales reps

Fear, anger and greed.

These are the tools unscrupulous sales representatives will use to push inappropriate investments for the elderly, just to make a great commission.

The rep in the attached story wasn't satisfied with the commission on $430,000 worth of gold and silver coins, she made by playing on the 83-year-old victim's fear of the unstable economy.

Coin broker Stephanie Brown, then, hustled her way into the victim's home and stole the coins and resold them. This gives a new meaning to the phrase "double your money."

Educational seminars on investments, which get potential clients by offering a free lunch, use the same tactics for sales. There, unscrupulous reps gain an invitation to the elder's home, where high pressure tactics are used to sell annuities and inappropriate long term investments, which artificially impoverish the victim. When the time comes for long-term care, they don't have access to the cash and are ineligible for Medicaid, due to the asset. (See post on plate licker seminars http://tvaconline.org/blog/admin.php?ctrl=items&blog=5&p=78)

Restitution is a poor remedy for an elderly victim, who does not have years to wait to get their money back. It does nothing for the violation a victim feels for having been duped. It does nothing to add peace to the victim's final days.

Sign the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org for the victims who are penniless after buying inappropriate investments. Sign it for the victims who suffer from lack of care, because an inappropriate investment leaves them too poor for private pay healthcare, but excluded from Medicaid because of the asset. Sign it for all financially exploited elders. Give them a voice.

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP9a47446efd2b467e80adaa745e6cb173.html

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 11 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

11. Nutrition programs

Good nutrition for seniors is the first defense in self-neglect.

If a senior has poor nutrition, he becomes more vulnerable. 'Through poor nutrition, his muscles waste, his strength diminishes and he is unable to fend off the simplest of virus.

He become frail and dependent...which leads to his inability to stay in his own home.

Congregate and home-delivered meals offer the additional benefit of socialization; either at the meal site or from the volunteer, delivering the meal. Human contact, especially to shut-ins, are a necessity. Not only does it reassure that someone is looking out for them, it could prevent them for looking to scammers for friendship.

With socialization, comes keeping the senior in the public eye. An elder attending a congregate meal site will be noticed if he comes in with unexplained bruises. A volunteer delivering a meal, looks for signs of abuse and neglect.

All this comes from the Senior Center's nutrition program.

Support funding for elder programs. Sign the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Sign it for senior centers. Sign it for the victims of abuse. Sign it to give abuse victims a voice.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 9 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

10. The family caregiver

"There are only four kinds of people in the world - those who have been caregivers, those who currently are caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who need caregivers" Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter.

With 76 million baby boomers on the cusp of old age, current caregiver status will be a growing topic of relevance and concern.

Family caregiving "is complex, confusing, complicated and counter-intuitive," says The American Association for Caregiver Education (AACE), whose mission is to listen to caregivers, understand their needs, and provide solutions.

"We do not have a caregiving gene in our DNA and it is far from intuitive. Few go to school to learn how to be family caregivers. Therefore if it isn't genetic, intuitive or learn, it should come as no surprise that family caregivers 'don't know what they don't know," the AACE website says.

Family caregiving is not a goal or honor. Family caregiving can be a privilege, that may not be realized until after the hard work and duties are gone.

There is no "common family caregiver solution" and one size does not fit all, the website says.

AACE seeks to better understand core, emerging and future caregiving concerns, to develop sustainable family caregiver teaching and training solutions and to create a resource hub for non-clinical family caregivers to understand the spectrum of demands in long-term care.

Support for family caregivers will be essential in the coming decades. Family caregivers will be called on to provide assistance to seniors to keep them at home and out of the nursing home.

They will be the ones who will delay the spend-down of assets, which trigger public assistance, in the form of Medicaid.

They will be the ones who, without support, risk burnout. They will be the ones pushed to the brink of abuse.

Please sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for family caregivers. Sign to raise awareness of this growing need. Sign for the millions of family caregivers today, who are doing it along. Give them a voice.

http://caregivered.org/index.html

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 9 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

9. Dr. Spock

Just as you do not expect a small child to be a mini adult conversely you should not expect the elderly to have the speed of thought and action of a 20-year-old.

Knowing that, it is dependent upon you, to care insure your senior gets the proper nutrition, hydration and other personal needs, said Belinda Douglas, geriatric nurse practitioner at Lauderdale County's Third Annual Fight Against Elder Abuse, today in Ripley, TN.

Douglas spoke as part of a panel of experts to seniors, who were attending the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event, sponsored by the Lauderdale County Commission on Aging.

She told about how the sense of smell and taste diminish with age, which lessens the urge to eat. You have to be aware of your elder's nutrition. Poor nutrition contributes to complications upon illness.

Elders lose subcutaenous fat and are easily dehydrated, but have lost the ability to know they are thirsty, she said. You must make sure your elder drinks plenty of water to avoid dehydration, which could lead to hospitalization.

District Attorney General Mike Dunnavant told the crowd that there were laws to protect seniors from abuse and exploitation and to report it. Anthony Huffman, Adult Protective Services investigator for the State of Tennessee, adddressed the commonly held fear that an abuse allegation would result in being placed in a nursing home. "People do better in their own homes," he said. Don't be afraid to report it.

Speaker after speaker spoke of abusive treatment of elders, their frailties and please, get involved. That you can't expect the senior to act in a way that you would expect. That seniors are not healthy one day and diminished the next. That it is a progression of the aging process. There are lots of things you may not know or consider in the care of the elderly.

And don't expect the elder to realize he needs help.

Dr. Benjamin Spock wrote the childcare bible of the boomer generation called "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care", one of the best sellers of all time, with more than 50 million sold. My mother said she used it like a cookbook to raise her four children.

Now, as you accept responsibility for the care of a senior, you may need another another complete resource, either in a book or internet form.

Google caregiver, buy the "Eldercare for Dummies" book, take a class, but get yourself educated to keep your senior as healthy and independent. Don't be afraid to report abuse. Don't be afraid to get involved.

Seniors need you.

Sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for the caregivers of today and tomorrow. Sign it for definitive research so those who will have to care for the aging 76 million baby boomers, as their capacities diminish. Sign it for abuse victims. Give them a voice.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 8 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

.8 Status quo

It's no shock to policy makers that the baby boomer generation have grown up, raised children enjoyed the empty nest and are now retiring. The first boomers turned 65 this year and by 2030, 70 million Americans, twice the number found the in the 2000, will be 65 and older. One in five Americans will be older adults.

The year 2030 is significant to planners, because this is when boomers transition into the oldest old category of 85 and older. This is the age when people need intensive services and supports to maintain their health, independence and quality of life.

Add to this, the Great Recession, which began officially December 2007. The aftermath has been a financial crisis for governments who must balance the shrinking budget by cutting social services, right at the time they should be increasing to prepare for the aging boomers.

Because of this, expansion of age-friendly policies are not happening in the amounts needed to address this aging population. Communities are only able to "hold the line", "keep our heads above water" or just preserve the status quo, states the report entitled, "Maturing of America - Communities Moving Forward for and Aging Population," released by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and the MetLife Foundation.

The report states that the top three challenges in meeting the needs of or planning for older adults were financial and funding shortages, transportation and housing.

The recession has pinched both individual and government budgets, which in turn, erode charitable and non-profit funding. Pension plans which shifted from a defined benefit to a defined contribution eliminated a source of financial security for elders.

Transportation for the elderly continue to be an issue, according to the report. Seniors in rural communities lack options found in urban area, which limit their ability to connect with services.

Also, suitable housing, which include accessibilty features are a major concern. Homeowners may lack resources for the upkeep, repair and modification of the home. They also face the economic issues of a fixed income in the face of rising rent, utilities and other expenses.

Sign the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org for adequate funding for our seniors. The aging tsunami is here. Sign for the 70 million boomers who will be on the cusp of the oldest old, in just nine years, and will overrun the status quo. Sign to give elders a voice.

Read the report at:

http://www.n4a.org/files/MOA_FINAL_Rpt.pdf

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 7 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

7. Financial abuse victims

Elderly financial abuse victims lose an estimated $2.9 billion per year, states "the MetLife Study of Elder financial Abuse: Crimes of Occasion, Desperation, and Predation Against America's Elders", which was released this month. Partners in the report include the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Virginia Tech.

The study analyzed news stories of financial exploitation and found that strangers comprised 51 percent of the articles, with reports of elder financial abuse by family, friends and neighbors came in second at 34 percent. Reports of exploitation, within the business sector, was third at 12 percent and Medicare and Medicaid fraud at four percent of the news articles.

Elderly women, between the ages of 80-89 were the most likely victims. They lived along and required some assistance with health care of home maintenance.

Nearly 60 percent of the perpetrators were males, with the majority between the ages of 30-59. Most female perpetrators were between the ages of 30-49. These perpetrators dehumanize the victim and use deceit, threats and emotional manipulation to get money.

But it was the victims and their stories that were the most heart wrenching part of the report. They included:

Two elderly women were beaten to death with a crowbar by their trusted handyman. He took and pawned all their valuables.

A woman, exploited by a live-in caregiver couple, was so neglected that she was found, weighing 80 pounds, she had bedsores infested with maggots and gangrene in both feet, which had to be amputated.

A 65-year-old woman, who suffered from dementia, was locked in a closet for months be three aquaintances who lived off her money.

A son and his two friends extorted money from his dying mother by threatening to burn down her home and throw her dog against a wall.

A caretaker pushed the wheelchair-bound woman he cared for, in front of a train, after he stole her money.

Two nursing home operators defrauded Medicare and Medicaid of more than $30 million, while leaving 300 residents without basic necessities, such as food and medicine.

These are a few of the examples of the financial abuse victims. They are at the end of their life, frail and dependent on others and are treated as trash. There is no restitution for the cost these elders had to pay.

Sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for these victims. Sign to fund programs to keep them safe. Sign to give them a voice.

Read the full report:

http://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/mmi/publications/studies/2011/mmi-elder-financial-abuse.pdf

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 6 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

6. What time is it?

The 5 a.m. phone call informing me of my brother's heart attack, this morning, woke me in more ways than one.

You never know what time it is.

People who abuse their bodies through obesity, smoking, drinking and drugging are driving, head-on into a heart attack, stroke or the cadre of other lifestyle diseases. These are the body's wakeup call to its owner that it will not be ignored any longer. It is a demand for attention.

Those indulging themselves should not be surprised then these diseases hit and rob them of the independence they enjoy today.

Those of you...and you know who you are...may be surprised when you are recuperating in a nursing facility and you must lay in a urine-soaked bed for hours, because of corporate policy of short staffing.

You may be surprised that the person you most trusted to pay your bills, deprive you of necessary food and medicine to force dementia symptoms, so they can gain full control of all finances. They take a cruise, while you are locked in a closet.

You may be surprised that for some reason, your ability to manage money was left in a cab, somewhere. And you just know you will win that $2 million sweepstakes, if you keep sending money. Only one more payment, and you can leave the kids set for life.

You may be surprised when your caregiver loses her cool and gives you a punch and shakes. You may be surprised to find yourself, in the nude, posed in sexual positions, while CNAs take photos on their camera phones.

The people, who found themselves in these positions, all were surprised. Don't assume you are so special that you can avoid becoming a statistic. You don't know what time it is and you're going to be surprised, when you find out.

You...and you know who you are...have the most to gain by signing the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org. You don't know what time it is.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 5 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

5. Your buddies

My first husband was diagonosed with Parkinson's Disease when I was 35-years-old. My second husband had a stroke, one year after we married, which left him paralyzed on his right side. Our friend had two knee replacements. My step-son has cerebral palsy and my sister-in-law was recently diagnosed with multiple scelorosis.

It was that point when I asked a friend if I would ever know healthy people again.

Her answer was no.

We are all aging, she said. You don't get healthier as you age; you decline.

The brain shrinks, the body loses fat, muscle mass and organs don't work as efficiently, as they did in your twenties. Your body is not meant to last forever.

Like a car, that you take in for service every 3,000 mile, a well-tuned body will be a joy to have in your old age. Or, like the car that you've run off the wheels, there is a miss in the motor, fluid leaks, and body issues that will take replacement parts, that are never as good as the original.

Think about the buddies you hang with. Are they keeping their bodies tuned up and running well? Or are they gunking up the hoses with cholesteral? Are they allowing the motor to become weak from all the wear and tear? Are they hauling more weight than the owner's manual prescribes? Are they fouling the emissions with noxious nicotine? Is the fuel being replaced with alcohol and drugs? Answer yes to any of these, and you know that your buddy is assisting the decline.

And think about your buddies who just have the rotton luck of getting Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's, MS and any other disesase that don't have anything to do with lifestyle. They will need help.

Your buddies will likely need healthcare assistance. They will likely need financial assistance. They likely need personal care assistance. Each of these put them in the position of being abused or exploited.

So sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for your buddies. Help make them safe. Sign for the seniors who need the assistance today. Give them a voice.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 4 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

4. Being trendy

My mom, once rejected buying an outfit I picked out, as being a fad. In other words, it won't be here next season.

She invested in fashion trends, which reflect something classic, that would be around for a long time.

So, I wonder; what are the trends baby boomer's are setting today?

Look around at the baby boomers you know and love. Look at the girth of their stomachs. Look at the cigarettes they have smoked since teenage years. Look at the drugs and alcohol they consume without care and you see trends.

You can see the trend of handicapped placards for your car. Weakness and shortness of breath are handicapping conditions that make it difficult to walk from your car to the Shoney's breakfast bar. Who will be the first boomer, in your group, to have a handy dandy handicapped placard due to his disability?

You can see the trend of power chairs and mobility scoooters. I saw George Bush on a scooter today. His scooter looks like a Mercedes. My husband's looks like a Chevrolet. We think about adding flames on it to express Ernie's personality, but not willing to put out for custom paint. But the trend will be, who has the coolest scooter.

You see the trend of lifts for these scooters. How they fit in the hitch, how they raise and lower. And are they stationery or do they have a swing, to allow you to get into the back of your vehicle. It's important to consider a well-optioned lift. After all, they will never look good on the back of your car, so you can only gain cool factor with options.

For personal jewelry, the trend will be med-alert bracelets, necklaces or charms. They inform first responders to your personal healthcare issues, such as dementia, diabetes, Parkinson's or stroke. You can also get a tag, just like for your dog, so people will be able to identify your name, address and caregiver contact info, in the event you sundown and wander off.

These are trends I want to avoid. But in the event I join the millions of other baby boomers on their way to poor health and vulnerability, I hope there is a cool factor we can incorporate during our decline.

Be a trendsetter and sign the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Do it for your declining friends and family. Do it for the elders whose disabilities make them dependent on others. Do it for victims of abuse. Give them a voice.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 1 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

1. Need you now

We went to the CMA Festival Friday night concert as two of 80,000 country music fans bound to see several top acts, including Lady Antebellum. There were young, old and middle-agers all finding their seats in the LP field arena. Nobody paid much attention to each other. Everybody was intent on doing their own thing, which was finding a good seat and getting settled with their food and drinks.

We went as two individuals.

Then the music started and people started singing along to the songs they knew. Then, Lady Antebellum was up and sang their monster hit, "Need you now." All 80,000 voices, including us, chimed in. We were one, in that instant. We weren't young or old; we weren't sick or healthy; we weren't rich or poor; we were one voice singing one powerful song.

The baby boomers have a history of singing in one voice. It was the boomers who sang out to end the Viet Nam war. It was the baby boomers who sang out the injustice of segregation. It was the baby boomers who sang to end discrimination against women.

I need you, now baby boomers, Silent Generation, Gen Xers and Millennials. I need you, now, to sing out one powerful voice that we don't tolerate people who beat, starve and neglect our most vulnerable population. I need you, now, to sing out against financial exploitation, which leaves our most vulnerable imporverished and forced to accept government benefits. I need you, now, to sing out against threats and intimidation against our frail elderly citizens.

I need you, now, because in 10 years the Alzheimers and dementia crisis will hit, which will directly affect one in five of all citizens, over age 65. I need you, now, because in 10 years, it will be too late to be proactive. In 10 years, family caregivers will double in numbers to care for the millions of boomers who age into the Alzheimers and dementia dominate years. Those future caregivers need you, now.

Let the government hear our one powerful voice. Let them hear that we support full funding of the Elder Justice Act. Let the government hear, chorus after chorus, describing the love and support we have of our our elderly population. Let the government hear one clear message that we will not allow our elderly to be mistreated. We need solutions now. We need them, now.

One powerful voice, calling for the support of the Elder Justice Act, will be hard to ignore. We need you now. We need you to show you care about the elderly in this country and that maltreatment will not be tolerated. We need you to show your support for elder abuse prevention projects.

We need you, now, to sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org to show that we are one voice. We must show the government that we are united in this cause. We need you, now, to show you care about the elderly. Give abuse victims a voice. They need you, now.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 3 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

3. Elderly women

The senior population, ages 60 and older, increased 24.6 percent from the year 2000 to 2010, according the U.S. Census Bureau.

This age bracket grew from 45.7 million in 2000 to 57 million 2010, which is an increase of more than 11 million citizens reaching their golden years.

Out of the 57 million, 25.4 million are men and 31.6 million are women, age 60 and over, according to the 2010 census. This equals 6.2 million more women than men, who are ages 60 and over. The men never take the lead, especially in the senior years.

Studies show that the most common victim of elder abuse and financial exploitation is the elderly woman who lives alone. Many of these women have never worked outside the home. They have never been in charge of finances. They have never dealt with mechanics or home repairs. All these tasks were considered "men's work" and after the husband got dementia or passed on, they were expected to pick up and take over.

These women are ripe for financial exploitation. They have no experience in dealing with money and are easily taken. They are the ones who accept explanations at face value, because they don't have past history to know what is right and what is dead wrong.

Some elderly women also have children with whom they have problems telling no. These are the children who live with them, sponge off them, rely on them for their upkeep, food and drug of choice. They are the ones who threaten to send mama to the nursing home, "because she has no other choice." The women are the ones who just want to stay at home, no matter the financial or emotional cost.

How many millions are we, as a society, willing to let these elderly women lose before we intervene in financial exploitation? How many will we, as a society, allow to waste away, covered in bedsore before we intervene in neglect and abuse? How many women have to be threatened and intimidated into giving a caregiver or relative all their money, before we intervene in emotional abuse?

Sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for the elderly women who need help. Sign it for abuse prevention programs it will fund. Sign for the Adult Protective Services workers, who are needed to monitor cases. Sign it to give the elderly victims a voice.

Counting down to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, we are at reason 2 as to why you should sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

2. Undue Influence

Snoozing in a chair.

That's what I see, when I think of the frail, elderly people in my life.

Their energy is tapped from getting up and dressed. They use their reserved strength to get in a chair, then, the head starts nodding, as they drift off to sleep.

They don't really want to go anywhere. They don't want to do anything. They want to sit in that chair and have a nap...or two or three.

Because they are sapped of strength, they are happy to let you take over. They are happy to let you run the errands, buy the groceries and pay the bills. The frail elderly have no energy left for much else than napping.

These situations are ripe for undue influence of the caregiver or family member. When elders are in this weakened state, the unscrupulous caregiver or family member will manipulate and create dependency and fear to gain control over finances.

Undue influence is a method to commit financial exploitation or sexual abuse, which can happen to an adult of any age," according to the report entitled "Undue Influence: The Criminal Justice Response" issued by the YWCA of Omaha, in 2006.

It states that the pattern of tactics is similar to cults, brainwashing, and domestic violence dynamics. There is also grooming for sexual abuse, the report says. The victim doesn't recognize what is happening and identifies with the perpetrator.

Although, anyone can be a victim of undue influence, it is enhanced by being lonely and isolated, uninformed, ill or cognitively impaired, drugged or drunk, fatigued, frightened or dependent, it says.

Perpetrators include the opportunistic friend, career criminals, or other fiduciaries, caregivers or family members. Perpetrators have included bank officers, investment counselors, police officers, lawyers and other professionals whom elders would normally trust.

I often get calls regarding undue influence in families, where a sibling has taken control of Mama. It may have started out as an agreement in the family, but then phone calls are limited. Visitation is restricted to where Mama is never alone. Money is being spent on questionable items, such as a car for the sibling, and there is no oversight to make sure Mama will have enough to last for the remainder of her life.

And the callers have already found that justice is slow. A good defense attorney knows how to delay. When the perpetrator is paying legal fees with Mama's money and the family is paying out of pocket, sometimes the fight is too costly to continue.

Sign the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org for those elderly being victimized by undue influence. Sign to keep their money from being spent on frivolous items, while the elder goes without. Give these victims a voice.

One million, six hundred fifty thousand (1.650,000)

That's the number of baby boomers who have turned the age 65 since January 1, 2011. The estimate is 10,000 birthday parties for boomers each day. That averages to 417 boomers celebrating, per hour, or 6.9 per minute.

The petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org has 510 signatures. That equals to the number of births for the first hour and 13 minutes of the year. That is not enough.

It's not enough boomers to be involved in the issue of elder abuse. Hello out there! We are talking to you, boomers who are just reaching the "younger old age" of 65 to 75. Except for the unfortunate 30 percent who suffer dementia, you are feeling pretty good right now.

But in just 10 years, when you approach the "older old age" of 75 and above, it is highly likely you are getting frail. You are experiencing some cognitive issues. You are becoming vulnerable. At your 75th birthday, you have reached the Alzheimer's and dementia dominate ages. At 80, 50 percent of those who survive have Alzheimer's or dementia. That is a ratio of one out of two. So are you the one who escapes dementia or are you the one who does not? If you were a gambling sort, where would you put your money?

People don't want to believe they are set on a course for frailty and dementia. That will happen to someone else, not them. But the statistic, one out of two, is hard to ignore. One out of boomers will have short term memory lapses, loss of reason and loss of self. It is this, one out of two boomer (whose birthdays range from 1946-1964) who will test his caregiver and his country.

The Alzheimer's and dementia crisis hits in 10 years, when the first boomers turn 75. Then the problem will continue to test caregiver and government resources, for decades, unless we act. And we need to act now.

We need funding of the Elder Justice Act now, which calls for funding of Adult Protective Services and Long-Term Care Ombudsman programs.

We need research about the aging brain and how it affects financial decisions. We need research on how to stop those, who are just in the first stages of dementia, from betting the farm on a foreign lottery which is only a ruse to steal thier money. We need caregiver support to prevent burnout and abuse.

Why? Just check out these 30 reasons on this blog as to why you should sign this petiiton at www.stampoutelderabuse.org.

But the very final reason, given, here on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to boomers: If you don't care about your future, who will?

Sign the petiition www.stampoutelderabuse.org today. Sign it for yourself. Sign it for your future caregiver. Sign it for the abuse victims of today. Whatever the reason, support awareness of the issue of elder abuse and sign. www.stampoutelderabuse.org.

Protecting the frail elderly from abuse is a duty, said Shelby County Attorney General Amy Weirich.

Weirich was keynote speaker at the Shelby County World Elder Abuse Awareness Day program, held at the Lindenwood Christian Church in memphis.

"We have a duty to care of our most vulnerable," said Weirich said. "We have to protect those victims who know they are being abused or feel the pain and those who have no idea."

She said the Tennessee Vulnerability Act charges citizens to "do their part" when they see abuse or neglect. She said her office reminds people to notify police if they see a child or senior citizen sitting alone in a hot car. She said getting involved could save lives.

"Criminals commit crimes against the most vulnerable," Weirich said. "They look for those who are isolated."

Weircih said trust your gut, when a story doesn't add up. "The most important tool you have is common sense," she said.

"We tell jurors that we will give you the law and facts but they are to use their common sense," she said. "If the gut tells you something isn't right, it's probably a good call."

She said a lot of senior citizens are afraid to report crimes because they are intimindated. Weirich said the seniors need to feel safe in reporting crime.

Care for one another. Don't be afraid to report. Be aware of abuse with your eders and get involved. It is your duy.

The question came from two different caregivers at two different World Elder Abuse Awareness Day observances on two different days, in two different counties.

How can you tell when a caregiver should be reported to Adult Protective Services for neglect of an elder. The question came from the caregiver families. The caregivers are doing everything they can, but things happen that look bad. How can you tell when you have a good caregiver, who is doing their best, from a bad caregiver who simply doesn't care?

That's when I tell them my story.

My ex-husband, James, has suffers from Parkinson's Disease and dementia. He is cared for by our daughter and her boyfriend. Now, he requires 24-hour care. The dementia causes him to hallucinate. H gets lost and confused. He sundowns and can't find the bathroom. He has urinated in the dryer, the cat litter box and on one particularly memorable Christmas, the oven. Try finding oven cleaner on Christmas Day.

Nevertheless, as with many dementia sufferers, James has clear times, that could last for a few hours. This happens most often when he knows people are coming over to visit. He gets excited and, Rachel's theory is that the adrenalin stimulates his brain enough to lift the fog. Family and friends, who come over, or take him out to dinner talk to him see a someone who is all there. They discount the dementia nightmare stories that Rachel and BJ tell. James knows who they are, the plan for the day and has suggestions for execution. They get the impression that Rachel and BJ exaggerate the problem.

So, when he called a friend and told her that he was cold, hungry and that Rachel spent all his money, she believed him. It was around the time of that incident, they were reported to APS for neglect.

They were so angry. Here they are, working their tails off to care for James, and now they are getting investigated for abuse? Caring for a dementia patient is tough enough but now they have to put up with APS snooping around for no good reason? After all, Rachel's mother (me) is the elder abuse guru of Tennessee. If I thought something was wrong, don't they think I would have said something?

So, when they came crying to me about being investigated, I told them they needed to suck it up. They are caregivers and should expect to be reported, if something doesn't look right. I tell people to report suspected elder abuse and financial exploitation. So better to have some feathers ruffled over a report that is not indicated than for an elder to suffer because someone didn't report it.

An APS investigator is not looking to take the elder out of the home. He is not looking to nitpick the caregiver. He is there to make sure the elder is safe. He is there because someone cared enough to make a report.

Make friends with James' friends, I told them. Invite them in and be transparent. That's how you avoid an APS investigation.

They took my advice. They sucked it up and opened up to the suspected reporter. Now, the reporter has become like a family member. She comes to all family functions and was even invited to go on vacation with the three. She knows they are caring for James and is comfortable bringing up any concern she may have with the caregivers.

Don't ever be afraid of hurting the caregiver's feelings by not reporting. The caregiver needs to suck it up. If you are a good caregiver, everything will be ok.

The older adults in this nation are a sick bunch of puppies.

That's the only conclusion I can derive from the statistic that 80 percent suffer from at least one chronic disease, which include heart disease, diabetes, lung disease and arthritis, according to the National Council on Aging. That means eight out of 10 older adults, which we define as ages 60 and older, have a chronic condition that can progress and dibilitate and rob them of their independence and control of their lives.

One out of two older adults, 50 percent, have two or more chronic diseases that impair lifestyle and life span, which also include cancer and stroke.

Four chronic diseases, cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes, account for all most two thirds of all deaths each year. Two thirds. People don't have to be afraid of being murdered or hit by a car. Statistically speaking, they will likely die from one of these lifestyle diseases.

Chronic diseases also suck down 75 percent of all healthcare costs, like a thirsty kid drinking lemonade on a hot summer day. The cost of chronic disease tops out at $2.8 billion, which is an average of $9,216 per person. The uncontrolled costs continue to grow as the massive number of boomers develop the symptoms from eating, smoking and abusing alcohol and drugs without care, throughout their lives.

There is help for those eight out of 10, who don't want chronic disease to take over their lives. There is help for that one out of two, who is battling more than one chronic condition. There is help that will help them manage their conditions and remain independent longer.

This is where the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) comes in. Developed by Stanford University, it teaches participants techniques to deal with the frustration, fatigue, pain, and isolation that often accompany chronic conditions. The workshop covers exercises for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility, and endurance; appropriate use of medications; communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals; healthy eating; making informed treatment decisions; and disease-related problem solving.

The six-week workshops are led by a pair of trained facilitators, at least one of whom has a chronic health problem. The sessions are highly interactive and help participants build skills to manage their conditions through sharing experiences and providing mutual support.

These evidenced-based workshops have undergone randomized, controlled trials to demonstrate their effectiveness in improving quality of life for people with chronic conditions. They empower individuals so they can improve the quality of their own lives.

Contact your Area Agency on Aging and Disability to learn more about the chronic disease self-management. Learn to manage your conditions, rather than letting them chip away at your strength and independence.

Learn more at:

http://www.ncoa.org/press-room/fact-sheets/chronic-disease.html

Whew! It's been a few days since my last post. All I can say is that this blog is only a small component of my job and sometimes it has to come last on the priority list.

Caregivers know about priority lists. They know how to list them, set them then check off one by one.

The home priority list. Sweep the floor. Dust (it has been a couple of weeks). Buy groceries (the only thing in the fridge is sliced cheese and a wonderful assortment of salad dressings). Wash clothes (which includes the subset priorites of putting them in the dryer, taking them out, folding and putting away). And the daily fires you have to put out. The lawn mower wouldn't fire up. Taking it to a repair shop required a truck and a trailer, neither of which I own. Hiring a mowing service is outside the budget. What to do?

The care receiver priority list. Daily meds counted and ready to dispense. Breakfast, lunch and dinner (whether you are hungry or not) personal care of bathing and dressing. Is everthing where it can be reached? Is everything that could possibly be needed? And the daily fires you have to put out. I got my husband up, showered and dressed, ready for that rare night out. We hook up with friends, having a great time and Ernie falls in the restroom and urinates all over himself. Good time gone as the priority is to go home and do the personal care, all over again.

The work priority list. Your usual tasks. Your extra tasks. The tasks that would organize and enhance your work, if you ever had time to devote to them. And the daily fires you have to put out. Short deadlines. Changing priorities. Since I work for the state, constituent referrals and complaints trump just about everything. So when a constituent calls, his concern moves to the top of my list.

The caregiver priorities are the most flexible and easiest to drop. Going to the doctor to make sure you are healthy (spending time more time at the doctor is not my idea of a good time). Working out (just got back to the gym after four weeks off, due to work and family priorities). Sleeping (Last week I lay in bed for eight hours, but the brain would not relax).

The bottom line here is that people are incredibly busy and that adding the caregiver component puts most people at overwhelmed, when it comes to responsibilities and priorities. There are always more things to do and not enough time and energy to get to them all.

So, last week, when I was fretted about not being able to post because day and night priorties pushed it down, down down... I had to be good to myself. I had to forgive myself that work fires trumped the blog. I had to forgive myself that home fires trumped the blog. I had to forgive myself that my need for sleep trumped the blog. I had to know it was ok.

Be good to yourself. Forgive yourself when you can't accomplish everything that must be done. Make that your first priority.

"It's just like with us. When everybody shows up, its great. When someone doesn't show up, and we work short, it's terrible."

My brother, a nursing facility nurse, was comparing his recent hospital stay to working at the dementia unit. The hospial was short staffed so there was a laundry list of tasks that were not performed in a timely manner, while he was there.

"I had three days of sweat on my back, by the time they sent someone to give me a bath," he said. "It felt good to get it off."

When everybody shows up, care is great. When its short-staffed, care is terrible.

Consider the nursing facility resident who has to deal with short-staffing. It means that his call light is not answered in a timely manner. It means that there is no help, to assist in toileting. It means that the resident may have to soil himself and lay in the waste, until a worker has time to clean him. It means that residents don't get turned on schedule, which places them at risk of bedsores. It means that medications may be administered late. It means that residents are left in their wheelchairs for hours, without attention. It means poor care that you would not want for yourself or your loved ones.

Short-staffing of nursing facilities is a major issue for Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Full staffing means quality care. Short-staffing means someone is getting shorted on care.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released its report entitled "Hospital Nurse Staffing and Quality of Care: Hospitals with low nurse staffing levels tend to have higher rates of poor patient outcomes such as pneumonia, shock, cardiac arrest, and urinary tract infections, according to research funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and others." http://www.ahrq.gov/research/nursestaffing/nursestaff.htm

When nurses are short-staffed, a research study: "Missed Nursing Care: A Qualitative Study" found that much of necessary patient care was just not being done. Beatrice Kalisch, Past-President of the Center, published her findings in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality. The qualitative, focus group study of RNs, LPNs and nursing assistants found that care was being missed in 9 major areas including surveillance, discharge planning, patient teaching, ambulation, turning, feedings, emotional support, hygiene and intake and output documentation.

Full staffing equals quality care and reduces neglect in nursing facilities. Support full staffing for nursing facilities. Support full funding of the Elder Justice Act, which calls for $5 million in Ombudsman funding, the eyes and ears for nursing facility residents.

Food.

Food that is served cold. Food that is served late. Food that the staff won't eat. These are some of the most common complaints Northwest District Ombudsman Marchell Gardner must resolve for the nursing facility residents in her nine county area.

Food quality is important to the nursing facility residents who call it home, Gardner told the crowd of more than 100 attending the Northwest Area Agency on Aging and Disability Elder Abuse Conference in Union City, TN yesterday.

"I had a man keep a pork chop in his front pocket for three weeks, so he could show it to me," Gardner said. "He wanted to show me how poor quality it was."

She said that if food quality was good, then you get complaints, you have to look at the budget. "The first budget cut is food quality."

If there is a new heating and cooling unit and the food quality went down, "then all the budget went for the new unit," Gardner said.

She said that the facility is home for residents, so they do not give up their rights that you would expect to have in your own home. For example, residents have the right to open their own mail and if it is delivered opened, it is a nursing facility violation.

Gardner said that she encourages all residents to complain in one voice. "If only two complain, then we are trouble-makers," she said

Not all cases are adversarial, she said. Gardner told of a 61-year-old resident who had been abused by her family and placed in the nursing facility by Adult Protective Services. The lady told Gardner that she wanted to live independently and have her own home.

Gardner said a place was found for the lady and the nursing facility administrator paid her first and last month's rent. The staff had a shower for her and Gardner found someone to assist her with finances. On moving day, there was balloons and honking horns to welcome the lady to her new home.

Long-term care Ombudsman are vital to our most vulnerable citizens in their final days in nursing facilities. They assist in quality of life issues for residents, who have no one else to advocate for them.

Please support full funding of the Elder Justice Act, which would provide funding for the nation's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. Show your support by signing the petition at www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Our nation's most vulnerable need your voice.

An empty bank account. That's what you risk when you place another's name on your bank account, giving him a blank check to spend as he pleases.

This is what you do, when you try and avoid probate with self-help practices of putting your heir's name on an account and durable power of attorney, said Assistant District Attorney Bill Bright at the Memphis World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15.

"That person has a blank check and can empty your account," Bright told the crowd. "Think about who you want to be in charge of your affairs."

He said, that for whomever you choose, you must trust but verify. "[Financial exploiters] will justify, and believe that it is ok, to take your money. You must verify the accounting."

Use your credit card when making purchases, rather than your debit card. "If the account is compromised, and you used your debit card, the hacker will have all he needs to clean out your account," Bright said.

He told about using a payment service to make a purchase with Amazon and and found his information was compromised. An overseas scammer wrote a sophisticated program to hack into the account and gained access to all who used the service.

Bright urged everyone to monitor their credit report annually and shred all documents and mail that contains pertains personal information, since identify theft is so prevalent. Thieves seek infomation from garbage , mailboxes.

"Never leave a check in the mailbox or the outside post office box," Bright said. Thieves will take your check, with your routing number and created counterfeit checks to write on your account.

Thieves are on high alert to access your money. Don't give them opportunity. If you know an elder at risk for financial exploitation, be a friend and offer help.

The southeastern stroke belt may be the future dementia belt.

That's because researchers have found that persons in Tennessee, Alabana, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina, have an 18 percent higher risk of developing cognitive impairment than those living in the rest of the country. These states are already dubbed the "stroke belt" because stroke is 50 percent more prevalent here than in the rest of the country.

Researches at the University of Alabama at Birmingham studies 24,000 persons across the country found that overall, 8.1 percent experienced cognitive decline over the four-year study period.

Researchers, who adjusted the study for influences of education, age, gender and race and those who experienced a stroke, suspect the common denominator is the high rate of hypertension in these states. Just in Tennessee, an estimated 34 percent of adults have high blood pressure, compared to 28 percent nationwide.

These states also rank high for hypertension risk factors of obesity, lack of exercise, and smoking.

Hypertension is caused when there is increased pressure of blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels. Aging causes blood vessels to stiffen, which naturally increases pressure. Adding plaque buildup from obesity and smoking, closes the vessels even more and contributes to high blood pressure.

When vessels in the brain don't get enough blood to function. The brain needs a certain amount of blood to flow through every minute. If vessels are closed and restricting blood flow, then the brain does not work efficiently, which leads to memory loss.

Just reducing the amount of blood flowing through the brain causes damage. A stroke or heart attack, as a result of high blood pressure, can cause more.

Loss of memory leads to vulnerability and the loss of control of your finances, where you live and what you do. Control your blood pressure before you lose control of your life.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110705/LIFE03/307050009/When-memory-goes-South-High-blood-pressure-could-explain-higher-rates-cognitive-decline?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Does the injury match the story?

That's the first thing to consider when considering if an injury sustained by an elder is an accident or abuse, said Professor Peg T. Hartig, department chair of Primary Care and Public Health at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Nursing.

Failure to thrive, frailty and the senior's physical environment are all matters to consider when evaluating whether an injury is from an accident or abuse, Hartig told the crowd at the Memphis World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event on June 15.

"Lack of awareness sneaks up on you," said Hartig. The senior may not know what is happening to them, if there is a dementia issue.

Seniors with at least three of the following conditions- decreased reserves, weight loss of more than five percent, exhaustion, slow walk, decreased physical activity-are considered frail. A test of frailty is whether a senior can sit and rise from a chair five times, Hartig said.

Medical personnel look for reasons for frailty, from poor nutrition, impaired neurophysical function, medication or co-morbidities of COPD, malignancy or diabetes, Hartig said.

Poorly explained injuries, dehydration, malnutrition and poor hygene are all symptoms of abuse, Hartig said.

She said that the skin on seniors tears easily, as it becomes less elastic over time. Common injuries, of bruising and burns, are on the back of hands and arms. Unexpected injuries are found on the buttocks and back and indicate physical abuse.

Vertebrae and hip fractures are common in the elderly and do not necessarily indicate abuse. Spiral fractures in the long bones, which indicate a twisting motion, do indicate physical abuse, she said.

Malnutrition can be attributed to a variety of causes, said Hartig. If you have an access or motor problem and can't get to the food, it may indicate self-neglect. It may come from a physiological problem, such as a liver disease.

"Gastric bypass may have changed the body's ability to process food," Hartig said. "We don't know what gastric bypass does to an aging adult."

Finally, she said that caregiver perpetrators are generally found to have mental illness or financial dependency on the victim, Hartig said. "Thre is a history of violent or anti-social behavior."

You know when someone punches you in the face that you have been assaulted.

You can tell from the physical pain. You can tell from the bruising. You can tell from the swelling. You can tell from other people's expressions when they see your black eye.

Psychological abuse is not so easy to detect. Is it abusive or are you over-reacting? It hurts your feelings, but the nursery rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," loops in your brain. How do you know if language and actions are psychologically abusive or just part of normal bickering?

That was the question researchers tried to define with the Conceptual Model and Map of Psychological Abuse of Older Adults, by Kendon J. Conrad, PhD et al, publiched in the Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 23:147-168, 2011.

Emotional or psychological abuse is defined as the infliction of anguish, pain or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts, accoridng to the National Center on Elder Abuse. It includes, but is not limited to, verbal assaults, insults, threats, initimidation, humiliation and harassement. Also considered abuse is threating an older person like an infant, isolation of the elderly person from family and friends and giving him the "silent treatment."

Researchers created a concept map comprised of five distinct clusters depicting psychological abuse; isolation, insensitivity and disrespect, shaming and blaming, threats and intimindation and trusted other risk factors. These clusters lay in two regions of physical intimindation and depersonalization.

Depersonalization of the elder includes the clusters of isolation, insensitivity and disrespect and shaming and blaming. Isolation includes preventing contact with the outside world by limiting access to news, confines the elder or impedes the elder's ability to see, hear, taste food, or touch or feel others.

Insensitivity and disrespect include ignoring the effects of pain and disease, ignoring the elder's wishes, confusing the elder to make him think he is crazy and won't let the elder speak for himself.

The shame and blame game includes demeaning blaming or shaming the senior as well as verbal attacks, such as yelling or swearing.

Physical intimidation includes the cluster of threats and intimindation range from the "silent treatment" to making threats of violence to the senior. It also includes the cluster of trusted other risk factors, which invlolves a troubled history and fear or discomfort of the "trusted other" (caregiver or family member) and the elder.

The study generated a model and hierachies of psychological abuse that will help to develop benchmarks for abuse, states the conclusion of the study.

In other words, there is still no valid measure for psychological abuse. You have to feel it, see it and hear it to know it. You have to feel the pit in your stomach and the pain in your heart. You have to hear the fear in your voice and see the tremble in your hands.

Be aware of psychological abuse, the most hidden of all abusive behavior. Know it when you feel it. Report it when you feel it. You deserve better.

Have your aging parents been financially exploited?

"Fewer than one in five adult children believe that their parents are being pressured to make financial decisions," said Steve Irwin, Pennsylvania Securities Commission. However, the fact is one in five persons over age 65 report that they have been exploited.

"There are individuals without a moral compass and will prey on elders. And elders rarely get money back once it has been stolen," Irwin said.

Elders are targeted because that is where the money is. More than 70 percent of the nation's wealth is controlled by the elderly. But with aging, comes cognitive impairment, in which elders are four times more likely to make poor financial decisions, than younger individuals, said Dr. Robert Roasch, Director of the Texas Consortium of Geriatric Education Center. "The changes make the seniors less risk adverse and willing to gamble.

Since 35 percent of seniors over age 71 have cognitive impairment which takes away defenses, "it becomes a neurological problem and a demographic problem," Roasch said.

So, when an unscrupulous securities advisor or investment counselor presents inappropriate investment products to seniors, such as 20-year annuities to a 90-year-old, the sale is easier because of the inevitable cognitive impairment. When the advisor tells the senior to make the check out to him, the red flag is not raised in the elder's mind.

APS workers are encouraged to make referrals of securities fraud to their state's securities office. These offices have staff who understand securities and can bring civil suits against offenders and work with District Attorneys on criminal cases.

Twenty-four states participate in the Elder Investment Fraud and Financial Exploitation and Prevention Program (EIFFE) in which persons can call a toll-free number with securities questions. The number is (866) 275-2677, a call center that can handle callers of all languages.

APS workers may also email questions to blandin@investorprotection.org. This is a clearinghouse address where the query is routed to the appropriate person.

"If you don't have time to exercise now, you will have plenty of time to be sick in the future."

That is the favorite quote of the medical assistant who examined me today during my first physical (a.k.a. wellness exam) in many years.

Consultation with a new diabetic caused her to run late with my appointment. She had to show him how to use a meter to test sugar levels and discuss healthy eating and exercise. My comment about "lifestyle disease" broke the ice.

I told her I was a believer. With heart disease and cancer running in my family, I've seen the grief that lifestyle diseases cause. I saw my mother wither away in a hospital or rehab unit for a year, until her death. I'll always remember her being admitted to the hospital, for the final time, on Christmas Eve. Dad wouldn't let her open her Christmas presents until she came home...and she never did.

It was hard enough to deal with her loss. It was harder to hear Dad grieve because "she never got her Christmas."

I've felt the grief that hits a family with stroke. My husband suffered a dibilitating stroke in 2007. He is paralyzed on his right side and lost his ability to talk in a coherent manner. It's bad enough for him to have lost the independence he enjoyed before the stroke. But losing the ability to communicate has been a special hell for him.

Every conversation is a guessing game, even with me. Sometimes I get it and oftentimes I don't. Sometimes I pretend to understand what he is talking about, so we can move on to something different, where we don't have to talk. I don't want my children to have to play guessing games with me, when I want to talk about a TV show or what I want for dinner.

I look around and see people carry portable oxygen machines, because they can't breathe. I see obese people shop in electric carts because they can't walk. I see people showing off heart surgery scars as if they were badges of honor. I don't want the accessories of illness to define who I am and what I can do.

I don't want to have time to be sick. As I age, I want to continue to enjoy a nice deep breath. I want to continue to negotiate the steps in my house. I want to be able to play hard with my grandchildren. I want to continue to be independent and in charge of my life.

For help in starting an exercise program to keep you healthy, as you age, check out Go4Life from the National Institute on Aging:

http://go4life.niapublications.org/

I used to love a good heat wave when I was in private practice as an attorney.

The heat causes tempers to flare and exhaust patience shaky marriages. After the yelling and screaming, the next move is an appointment with a divorce attorney. I learned that if business was slow during a mild spring, a heat index in the triple digits would always balance my books with new business.

The last two days have been miserable in Tennessee, with the heat index up to 112, coupled with oppressive humidity making it difficult to breathe. I'm happy for my attorney friends, who will be reaping the benefits in new clients.

However, I suspect that it is not only married couples who are pushed to their breaking points when the heat is stifling. Caregivers to the frail elderly must also feel the heat, when they are pushed to the boiling point.

The heat hypothesis states that hot temperatures increase agressive motivation and agressive behavior. The heat effect is the observation of higher rates of aggression by people who are hot relative to people who are cooler.

The "crankiness" factor is cited in the "Heat and Violence" study by Craig A. Anderson, of Iowa State University psychology department. http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/2000-2004/01A.pdf. It says that being uncomfortable colors they way people perceive things. Minor issues are distorted and become major problems which demand an answer and retailiation.

"Heat-induced discomfort makes people cranky. It increase hostile affect (e.g., feelings of anger), which in turn primes agressive thoughts, attitudes and preparatory behavior (fist clenching)," the study says.

The study also finds that the hotter the city, the more violent crime is reported.

I think about the overwhelmed family caregiver who can't get outside to cool off when he can't stand one more minute with his Alzheimer's patient.

I think about the frail elderly who have no way to cool their home because family members have stolen their all money and are back to demand more.

And I pray for cooler weather.

Be a friend to the elderly during the dog days of summer. Make sure that they, and their caregivers, have cooling down options before things get out of control.

Think about what you want to remember in your golden years before you add to your waistline with an extra helping of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Long term obesity in older people raises the risk of developing dementia by 300 percent, according to Swedish researchers, whose work was published in the journal Neurology.

Dementia is the loss of your ability to think, retain information, and reason your way out of a problem, which is severe enough to interfere with your daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease, but a group of symptoms caused by various diseases or conditions.

The obesity study included 8,500 identical twins with 350 identified as having vasular dementia, which cam from blood vessel constriction. There were 114 participants who were suspected of having regular dementia.

Researchers concluded there is a significant conncetion between dementia and obesity. Obesity prevention and treatment, even in the elderly, could reduce Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

This research supports 2009 research from the University of California in Los Angeles by Paul Thompson who found that people with high body mass index had smaller brains, especially the parts of the brain that are important for planning and memory.

Think about what you want to enjoy and remember in your golden years: births, weddings or just simple family gatherings. Is it worth it to you to avoid dementia by chocolate cake?

Learn more about the stages of dementia at http://www.understanding-dementia.com/stages-of-dementia.html and think: is this how you want to spend your final years?

It's the injury that keeps on taking.

That's how traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are described by Dr. Douglas Smith, professor of neuosurgery and director of the Penn Center for Brain Injury and Repair.

A study of 905 retired football players show that 35 percent appeared to have significant cognitive problems," said lead reseracher Dr. Christopher Randolph of Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.

The veteran study of of those aged 55 and older, showed that those with diagnosed with TBI, had a 15.3 percent risk of developing dementia as compaired to a 6.8 percent risk with no TBI diagnosis. Since the hallmark injury of the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars is TBI, the possible onset of dementia is a grave concern for those veterans.

It should also be a concern to anyone who has ever played football and suffered a blow to the head.

The brain's communication cables, called axons, are stretched each time there is a blow to the head. The stretching damages the innter structure, which can cause them to spew out proteins that lead to the plaque and tangles in the brain that cause Alzheimer's and dementia, scientists theorize.

Autopsied brains of former football players show deposits of stringy tau protein. And University of Pennsylvania studies of persons who susteained moderate to severe TBIs show that an injury could spark production of the axon clogging proteins, which intensified as the years passed,

An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's in 2011, according to the Alzheimer's Association Facts and Figures. http://www.alz.org/downloads/Facts_Figures_2011.pdf . One in eight persons aged 65 and older or 13 percent, have Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Nearly half of persons aged 85 and older have Alzheimer's disease.

With the aging of baby boomers into the Alzheimer's and dementia dominate years by 2020, the numbers are expected to double.

Currently, there is an estimated 15 million unpaid caregivers for our America's Alzheimer's and dementia suffers. Again, this number will only rise with the aging of baby boomers.

The future is clear. Alzheimer's and dementia will be a force to reckon within a decade. Research and public policy is needed to address the issue now.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43797462

What would you do if a blood test told you that in 10 years you would be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease?

Austrailian researchers have developed a blood test that shows promise to give patients that information, a decade or more before symptoms arise, as reported at the Alzheimer's Association Internation Conferenceheld this week in Paris.

Brain scans show signs of Alzheimer's a decade longer before the clumps of beta amyloid protien clumps and tangles to cause memory loss and thinking problems. Researchers predict that high levels of the amyliod are a marker ror future Alzheimer's, which can be seen in brain scans. But these tests are too expensive and impractical for routine use.

The test accurately separated healthy people from those with mild cognitive impairment, according to reports. It was 83 percent correct in identifying persons with high amyliod levels and 85 percent correct in ruling out persons without these high levels.

The report states that the next step for commercial use of the test would be wider validation work to ensure reliable results regardless of the lab or doctor who use it.

Is this news you want to know? And if you did, what would you do?

I would become an advocate for research and development of Alzheimer's treatments. I would become an advocate for caregiver support and respite care. I would become an advocate for research and development of best practices for the care and feeding of an Alzheimer's patient.

I would look around at my family and wonder who will be my unpaid caregiver. I would wonder if that person will have the strength and patience to care for me, as my "self" slowly slips away. I would wonder how long it would take me to succumb to this disease; how long my children will have to suffer with me.

And I would try to embed as many loving memories as my brain can hold. So, when my short-term memory is gone, like a puff of wind, my loving memories will be as sweet and fresh as the day I loved.

Don't wait for the blood test. Become that advocate, prepare for life's contingencies and spread your love.

For more information about the Alzheimer's blood test, go to:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=14112262

Ten warning signs:

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_10_signs_of_alzheimers.asp

Stages of Alzheimer's:

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp

A stay in a rehab facility for Minnesota's Long-Term Care Ombudsman was too degrading and dehumanizing.

After just 25 hours in the facility, Deb Holtz checked out and chose outpatient therapy rather than continue inpatient rehab.

The attached story details her treatment and her realization of how vulnerable a person can feel when they are dependent on others for their care.

I am over the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program for Tennessee. So when my husband suffered a stroke and spent several weeks at a rehab facility, I was interested in how we would experience long-term care.

The staff made us feel at home, arranged a special anniversary dinner for us and the administrator bought me roses. Daily, I brought our dogs to visit and we (dogs included) would snuggle up with Ernie, in the small twin bed and watch the TV we brought from home.

Issues were dealt with and if I thought Ernie needed something, I just went and got it.

It was nothing for me to get clean towels, hot out of the dryer, to give him a bath. It was nothing for me to give him a bath, actually, because the staff did not have time.

Our major issue was that when Ernie pushed that call button to go relieve himself, it was rarely answered. He did not want to sit in a wet bed so,it was normal for him to:

1. Fall as he tried to attend to it himself. I got several calls about that. Finally they put an alarm on him, so he could not get up without someone stopping him from getting up.

2. Rip off the diaper they tried to get him to wear, in place of taking him to toilet.

3. Cuss a blue streak because with the alarm and no diaper, he was stuck in a wet bed, for hours, until the CNA could attend to him.

Now, we knew the CNAs. They were girls who went to school with my son, John, and had been to my house. I had seen them grow up. They were sweet and caring girls, who wanted to do their jobs well. They wanted to make John's mother and stepfather happy and comfortable, but were short staffed, constantly and it was hard for them to keep up with the work.

When you are short-staffed at a long-term care facility, your work is terrible no matter how good you want it to be.

Long-term care Ombudsman deal with issues that make residents feel less than human. They deal with issues that make residents feel that they are not in their own home. They advocate for full staffing of facilities, to protect the health and safety of the residents.

As with the Ombudsman in the attached story, we knew our rights and understood the system and could get things done. For those who are more vulnerable and have no friend or family to advocate for them, an Ombudsman may be the only way to protect his quality of life in a long term care facility.

Support full funding of the Elder Justice Act, which allocates $5 million, nationally for the Ombudsman program. Nursing home residents depend on it.

http://www.startribune.com/local/126150738.html

The body mass index (BMI) didn't lie.

At 5 '1" (my examiner gave me an extra half inch) and 150 pounds, I was within a fraction of percentage points of being obese. Since I have always been described as "tiny", being closely associated with the word "obese" did not sit well with me.

I knew I was chunky, fluffy, soft and all the other acronyms we use to describe the extra weight you carry, but don't want to deal with. These words were all acceptable to my ears and others, as we talk endlessly about weight and our wish and desire to lose those extra pounds. But obese?

That's those people on the "Biggest Loser", who have to lose 100 pounds or more, isn't it? The picture of obesity is not that woman looking at me in the mirror, is it?

Yes, that ugly word described the weight I carried around my waist, hips and thighs. It described my growing condition, brought on by my love of fried food and my need for a daily chocolate fix.

Obesity is defined by body weight and height to calculate BMI, which correlates to a persons amount of body fat. Obesity related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain forms of cancers. These conditions lead to vulnerability, as you age.

Obesity can only be cured by weight loss and muscle gain.

Seniors need muscle. They need muscle to rise and sit in a chair, at least five times in a row. They need muscle to walk to wherever they want to go. They need muscle to keep balanced and not fall and risk a hip fracture.

The obese diagnosis was enough to put me back in the gym. It was enough for me to get active, by swimming and walking. It was enough for me to stick with resistance training to build muscle and lose the fat.

Think about your future when you eat fatty foods, watch TV and watch your waistline grow. How vulnerable to you want to be in your golden years?

Check out the BMI chart and see where you land in the realm of over-weight and obese.

http://www.obesityinamerica.org/

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html

I didn't need to see the excessive heat advisory ticker at the top of the weather site to tell me that that it is hot outside.

It's August and triple digit heat index it not uncommon, this time of year, in these parts. Most people understand that you need a plan to stay cool and hydrated. However, the elderly may self-neglect or not understand their age-related risks for heat stroke.

Your senior friends and family may have some health problems with increases their risk of hypertermia (when the body overheats). Extra care should be taken with the elderly who suffer from congestive heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said researchers from the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

Other health factors include mobility issues, dementia or other thinking skills, overweight or obesity, dehydration or any age-related changes to the skin, including reduced function in sweat glands.

NIA experts also say that some medications, that the elderly take, may cause deydration or affect the ability of their heart, blood vessels or sweat glands to respond to heat.

Symptoms of heat stroke include an extremely high body temperature of more than 103 degrees F, red, hot and dry skin which is void of sweat, rapid, strong pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness and nausea, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

If the elderly person overdresses or does not have access to air conditioning or transportation, he could succumb to heat-realted condtions, such as heat fatigue, heat cramps and heat exhaustion, the NIA experts say.

Help protect the elderly from heat related stress by visiting, at least, twice a day and look for signs of heat exhuastion or stroke. Encourage them to drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages, regardless of their activity level, to stave off dehydration. If his doctor limits the elder's fluid intake, ask how much he should drink while the weather is hot, according to tips on the CDC website.

If you see a person suffering from signs of severe heat stress, get him to a shady area and cool him rapidly with whatever means you have available. That includes placing the person in a tub of cool water, spray him with cool water from the garden hose, or wrap him in a cool, wet sheet and fan him vigorously.

Monitor the victim's body temperature and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops below 102 degrees F. Get medical assistance as soon as possible.

Prevent elderly self-neglect during excessive heat advisory by keeping them cool and hydrated. Be a friend to a senior and help them monitor their health during the hot summer months.

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/elderlyheat.asp

I am a support group pro.

My ex-husband, James, and I were regulars at a Nashville Parkinson's Support Group for a number of years, which provided us with a lot of good information and camaraderie with couples who were in the same boat.

James loved it. He loved hearing the speakers and socializing, and munching down on the pot luck snacks that followed.

I was not so enthralled. I was happy he got so much pleasure from the meetings but...

He was always there, right beside me. I couldn't vent about the drain of having a disabled husband. I couldn't talk about how his disease affected our young children. I couldn't grieve. But again, it's about the patient, right?

So, when my husband had a stroke, I immediately shopped for a stroke support group. We went to the only evening stroke support group in Nashville and were too depressed to go back. It was not our kind of group and did not offer the kind of support we needed.

Then, I found a caregiver support group where I could vent, cry and support others with specific issues we each faced. It was for me, the caregiver. It was alll about the caregiver. I love it and still try and make the meetings, when I can.

So, when I heard about Alzheimer's cafes, I wondered about the differences between the cafe and a support group. I mean, it seems like the same concept: bring your Alzheimer's patient to a meeting where there are speakers, entertainment and snacks, where you can hang with other Alzheimer's caregivers.

The concept of the Alzheimer cafe, originated with Dr. Bere Miesen of the Netherlands, as a relaxed way for caregivers and those with mild cognitive impairment could come and informally be educated and supported.

"Dementia is a complete catastrophe," said Miesen in 1999. "Both the person with dementia and their family deserve to be well supported. The recognition and admission of mental suffering can make life liveable again."

Alzheimer's cafes are safe places where families can deal and grieve with their personal losses. The patient must work through the reality that Alzheimer's is taking control of their life. The family must grieve through the "intangible" loss of losing the essence of their loved one while he remains "visibly" with them for years.

Call it what you want; support group or cafe, the need is there. Help is available. Get support. Get help. You are not alone in your struggle.

To learn more, watch the attached video:

http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/content/alzheimers-cafe

Learn more about the first Alzheimer's Cafe in the U.S.:

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Leisure/Alzheimer-s-Cafes-provide-outlet-for-interaction

First Alzheimer's Cafe in California:

http://www.independent.com/news/2011/jul/07/peppers-estate-host-californias-first-alzheimers-c/

Start your own Alzheimer Cafe:

http://www.alzheimercafe.co.uk/Acrobat/HOW_TO.pdf

A woman in financial trouble asks her new elderly boyfriend to help her out of a jam...and another...and another until his money is all gone.

A priest in financial trouble asks an elderly parishoner for money to help him out of a series of problems to the tune of $305,000.

Scammers are not just nameless, faceless strangers on the telephone or behind the sweepstakes and Nigerian scams that fill elderly malilboxes. Sometimes they are the sweet, but troubled woman who rushed into a relationship with her elderly benefactor. Sometimes it is the elder's pastor or priest, who targets the vulnerable in his congregation.

In the sweetheart scam story below, the women were part of a ring who scouted out elderly men in grocery stores, neighborhood diners, the bowling alley and even at his own home as he does yard work.

After the target has been identified, a woman is dispatched to engage him in friendly conversation and to make a date. then seduces him. She, then, claims a horrible, emotionally charged financial problem and asks the man for assistance. The problem is that the problems never go away until the man is drained from all his money and the woman leaves for a new target.

In the second story, a popular priest has been charged with stealing $305,000 from an elderly parishioner. The parishoner is diagnosed with dementia and unable to give permission.

"Crimes in which a person abuses a position of trust to financially prety on their victim are expecially unconsionable," said Delaware Attorney Gneral Beau Biden, in published reports of the crime.

The difference in the victims appear to be capacity. Where the elderly woman, victimized the her priest is reported to have dementia, the men in the sweetheart scams have capacity to make decisions, but are acting out of concern for the sweetheart scammer.

People can be scammed, regardless of capacity. Scammers target the vulnerable and know how to work the system to get cash.

The theft of the victim's security and trust are thrown in for free.

Sweetheart scams alive and well:

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/06/09/women-seducing-scamming-elderly-men-in-western-suburbs/

Mafia-style ring scams and robs elderly:

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/06/24/mafia-style-ring-scamming-robbing-elderly-residents/

Priest scams parishoner:

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/BL/20110804/NEWS01/108040344/Priest-charged-stealing-305K?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Scams of the month:

http://www.councilonaging-midtn.org/news-you-can-use/scam-of-the-month

"You're there to support your Veteran. We're here to support you."

That's the Veteran's Administration (VA) nod to the importance of caregivers in its new caregiver support page found at http://www.caregiver.va.gov.

This excellent resource details VA caregiving services for the veteran and his caregiver, which include a support line, a caregiver support coordinator, adult day health centers and home telehealth.

The caregiver tool box features a "new caregiver" page, which includes checklists, tips to avoid caregiver burnout and assurance that caregiving is a rewarding experience. There are also diagnosis care sheets for Alzheimer's disease, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. New care sheets are added on a regular basis and caregivers are encouraged to request specific diagnosis care sheets to fit their individual needs.

The "Staying Strong" section supports caregivers in maintaining balance in their lives. It stresses to caregivers to put their personal needs first and to let go of unimportant commitments. It tells how to get help from others and reassures caregivers that assistance is necessary. It also breaks down tasks and personal treats into two, five and 30 minute increments, under the section "Make the Most of Your Limited Time." "Rewards of Family Caregiving" reminds caregivers of the value in the service they provide.

The VA is also collecting and publishing caregiver stories to offer support and advice to others. The "Caregiver Connections" section seeks to provide a safe emotional outlet with online resources to connect with other caregivers.

This site is geared toward the caregiver of a veteran, but the common sense advice is useful for all caregivers. Take care of yourself. Manage and protect your time. And the best tip of all "You are not alone in your struggle."

You are not alone, caregivers. Find your support and strength to shoulder your load. Find what works for you. You are not alone.

http://www.caregiver.va.gov/

When a frail senior has been victimized by a caregiver or relative and needs assistance picking up the pieces of his life, what services are there to assist?

That is the question the Office of Victims of Crime is attempting to answer with the online directory of crime victim services, found at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/findvictimservices/. There, service providers and victims can search for services by location, type of victimization, service needed and agency type.

The website lists more than 5,000 programs throughout the United States, its territories and 36 countries, which can assist all victims of crime, including seniors. The site lists resources available to victims of robbery, stalking, sexual assault, identity theft, fraud and other types of crime.

Services provided include, advocacy, shelter, crisis counseling, emergency financial assistance, group therapy, safety plans, telephone contacts and support groups.

Agencies that provide the services include, health departments, hospitals, legal aid, Area Agencies on Aging. hospice and victim services agencies.

The website is easy to navigate, once you realize that when you highlight the type of victimization, type of service provided and type of agency, you must click on the arrow to the right of the list to put the search term in a separate box. This allows you to use more than one search term for each of the categories for a more complete listing of agencies and the services they provide in your specific area.

It is not a complete listing. There are many agencies in Tennessee that have not posted their information on the website. I'm sure there are many in all the other states and territories that are missing from the list, also.

However, it is a good start and OVC has an easy application and verification process to list your agency, if it provides direct services to victims of crime. The program must be stable and have provided victims services for a minimum of 12 months.

If you are an agency that provides direct services to crime victims, get listed. If you are a service provider, put the website in your favorites. And if you are a victim of crime, use the site to get the help you need.

http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/findvictimservices/

Who do you want to care for your elderly mom or dad?

This is the question millions of Americans will have to ask themselves, as their parents age and need assistance to remain in their home.

Who can you trust to assist Mom or Dad with personal care, such as bathing and dressing? Who can you trust to shop with Mom and Dad's money? Who can you trust to truly care for Mom or Dad, the way you want them treated?

Hiring an in-home caregiver for your frail loved one will be one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Take your time and don't rush the process. And use the tips outlined below, to minimize any risk to your senior.

These tips come from a publication by the San Diego District Attorney's office and the California Office on Criminal Justice Planning.

Using a Home Care Agency

Use only insured and bonded home care agencies. Ask to see a copy of the bond and check the dates to make sure it is current. Make sure the bond penalty amount is at least $10,000.

Are the caregivers independent contractors or are they employees of the agency? Independent contractors would not be insured and bonded through the agency.

Ask the agency how long the caregivers have worked with the agency. Ask the agency to provide two or three names of former clients who can refer the potential caregiver.

Ask if the agency does drug testing and background check. You may consider paying for an extra background check through a private investigator.

Make sure the agency has a written policy against employees accepting loans, gifts or any gratuities from a client. If they don't have one, make an agreement yourself and ask the caregiver to sign it.

Once the caregiver has been placed in the home, immediately notify the agency of any problems that arise.

Hiring a caregiver privately

Ask the caregiver to obtain a "dishonesty bond" from an insurance or bonding agency.

Create an employment application with areas for work history and references and have the potential caregiver fill it in.

As the caregiver for proof of citizenship, Social Security, plus driver's license and insurance if transportation is involved. Keep copies of this documentation.

Consider paying a private investigator for a thorough background check.

Get three or four references from former clients and check them out.

Red Flags

Before you hire, do you see a lot of unexplained gaps in employment? Has the person had many short-term jobs? Has this applicant ever quit a job or been fired? Ask why.

When the caregiver is on the job, does he make it difficult for you to visit with your loved one alone? Is the caregiver beginning to run the household? Does the senior exhibit an unusual dependence on the caregiver or seem anxious?

Is the elder showing a sudden change in mood or behavior?

Tomorrow, we will discuss safeguards to put in place before the caregiver comes into the home.

When Mom or Dad needs assistance to remain at home, many times that means the need for an in-home caregiver.

Whether that person is hired from an agency or privately; whether the caregiver is a friend, relative or someone unknown, there needs to be safeguards in place to minimize risk of abuse and exploitation.

These tips are from a publication by the San Diego District Attorney's office and the California Governor's Office of Criminal Justice Planning.

Sit down with your parents or care receiver and discuss concerns about abuse and financial exploitation. Ask them to immediately tell you of any problems they encounter with the caregiver. Ask them not to sign any document a caregiver wants them to sign.

Visit the elder frequently and unannounced.

Keep all important documents (deeds, wills, trusts, etc) and valuable jewelry in a safe deposit box.

Notify financial institutions of a caregiver's presence and ask them to monitor accounts for unusual activity.

Sign up for online banking for easy monitoring of the checkbook and bank and statements for unusual expenditures. Sign up for email notices when a credit card expenditure goes over a certain amount. Carefully review statements the month they come in.

Never provide the caregiver with an ATM P.I.N. number to a caregiver. If you must, put a limit on the amount that can be withdrawn and limit the amount of cash in that account.

Do not assign a caregiver as agent in a financial power of attorney document.

Do not keep cash around the house. Most bonds do not cover loss of cash because of the difficulty in proving theft.

Keep checkbook, ID cards and credit cards in a locked box and the elder should keep the key in his pocket, if he is competent to handle these matters. If not, keep the checkbook and credit cards out of the house.

Don't forget to check for physical abuse. Look for signs, such as frequent bruising and weight loss.

The loss of a spouse and close friends. Dealing with memory loss. Loss of health. Loss of mobility. Loss of independence. Loss of purpose.

Aging means dealing with losses. And too great of loss can trigger feelings of hopelessness, lack of concentration and inability to enjoy life's pleasures.

Other symptoms of depression include intense sense of guilt, preoccupation with suicide or dying, slow speech and body movements and the inability to function at home.

Medical conditions that can cause depression include Parkinson's disease, stroke, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disorders, Vitamin B12 deficiency, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, lupus and multiple sclerosis.

Depression can be treated successfully with therapy and/or antidepressants but many elders are reluctant to acknowledge that a pill will help. They are of the age where you were to "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps." Letting your personal problems overwhelm your life is considered "weak".

"Mother won't even take a baby aspirin the doctor recommended," said one caregiver, whose mother is dealing with a spouse with Alzheimer's.

Another daughter said of her mother, who has suffered depression all her life, "She doesn't want medicine. She wants to hide in her room and tough it out until the depression passes."

As for talk therapy, "I don't need to tell my business to a room full of strangers," said my father to me.

So what is a caregiver to do?

Encourage your elder to seek help. Let him know that he can feel better with treatment. Assure him that he can enjoy life again.

Check his mood with the Geriatric Depression Scale, attached at the bottom of this article. Go over his answers and scores. Insist he follow up with a doctor if the scale indicates depression.

Enlist the aid of his doctor to explain depression and its treatment.

Help is available. Get your senior to take it.

Geriatric Depression Scale:

http://www.depression-help-resource.com/geriatric-depression-scale.pdf

Learn more about depression:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_elderly.htm

What would you do if your father needed medical treatment and you couldn't access it because you can't find a particular piece of paper?

The paper, of course, could be anything from a military service record, birth certificate, or other legal document that everyone knows they must save but don't have good organizational skills.

That is the dilemma my friend finds herself in. The missing document is her father's DD214, which shows his military record,. He has Alzheimer's disease and that record will open the door to the substantial benefits provided by the Veteran's Administration. He doesn't know where it is. Her mother, a hoarder, has no clue. So the family pays out of pocket for co-pays and everything Medicare doesn't cover.

So, when perusing the American Bar Association's online resource "Legal Guide for the Seriously Ill: Seven Key Steps to Get You Affairs in Order", I immediately zeroed in on the seventh step: Get Your Legal Documents in Order."

Yes, your family or representative, when you become too ill to care for yourself, will need your legal documents. They need to know where they can access them at a moment's notice. They need to know for your benefit.

The guide has three easy steps to getting your legal documents in order:

1. Collect the documents.

2. Store the documents in a safe and accessible location.

3. Tell key people (who will be in charge upon your incapacitation or demise) where they are.

Important documents include adoption papers, birth certificates, divorce papers, marriage certificate, durable power of attorney, prenuptial agreements, trust documents, veteran s discharge documents (DD 214) and any will.

Proof of assets is also important, such as deeds, life insurance policies, annuities, bank accounts. They need to be kept in a safe and accessible location.

Don't leave you, your family and heirs in a bind. Pull everything together in a binder, file or safe and let your key people know the plan.

For more information:

http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/uncategorized/2011/2011_aging_bk_leg_gd_sersly_ill.authcheckdam.pdf

How are you going to pay for your long-term health care, if you are one of the 70 percent of persons, age 65 and older, who will need it?

Deciding the answer to that question is the first, of seven steps to getting your affairs in order, in the online "Legal Guide for the Seriously Ill," produced by the American Bar Association, whose link is posted below.

It is estimated that persons who turn 65 today, could need up to three years of long-term care services, with almost two years of that care provided in the home. Long-term care is needed when you have a chronic disease or disability that causes you to need assistance with Activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing, dressing or mobility. Cognitive issues of memory loss, confusion or disorientation also give rise to long-term care needs.

Your risk of needing long-term care increases as you age, along with lifestyle choices. Single people are more likely to need a paid caregiver, as will women since they live longer than men. Poor diet and lack of exercise increases your risks as well as genetics and family history.

To get an idea on how much you may need for your care, you can go to the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information website for a state by state break-down of costs.

Anyone who is planning for Medicare to pay for long-term care needs to stay healthy. Medicare pays for 20 percent of all long-term care, but only in specific circumstances. Medicare will not pay for most of the long-term services you may need. Medicare will pay for short-term stays for rehabilitation but not for the personal care or homemaker services which allow you to stay home.

Medicare pays in full for up to 20 days in a skilled nursing facility, if it follows a hospitalization. From 20 to 100 days, Medicare may cover a co-payment of $137.50, if the stay meets all over Medicare requirements. After 100 days, Medicare does not pay for your stay in a long-term care facility.

Most long-term care is paid for by the taxpayer funded, means-tested Medicaid program. The Tennessee Healthcare Association says that 65 percent of nursing facility costs are paid by Medicaid. If this is your plan, you must spend down all your assets to $2,000, not including your car and home. Or, you can qualify for Medicaid, if you are over income, by having a special needs trust. All funds go into the trust to pay for your care, except for your $40 per month personal needs allowance.

However, since Medicaid is taxpayer funded, the federal government requires states to recover the costs of that care. If your assets are in a special needs trust or in home equity, the state will seek to recover those costs after your death, through attaching assets or forcing the sale of the family home. The state only recovers the actual costs of your care, which was paid by Medicaid.

Learn about the costs of long-term care before you decide on self-insured private pay. This option leaves the full bill for the consumer to pay. In Tennessee, the average daily rate for long-term care is $171 for a semi-private room. So for one year of care at that rate, it would cost $62,415. In California, the state average daily rate of $227 for a semi-private room escalates to $82,855 per year. The average daily rate of $610 for a semi-private room in Alaska amounts to the bone chilling $222,650 for a year. To determine long-term costs in your state, click on the link below, scroll down and click on the state map for information.

If you have a life insurance policy, you could finance long-term care by using accelerated death benefits, if available. You could also get cash by selling the policy to an investor, which is called viatical settlement.

Another way of financing long-term care is to obtain a reverse mortgage on your home equity. You get a discounted rate on the amount of equity you have in the home, which can be accessed by lump sum, monthly payments, line of credit or a combination of all three. However, if Medicaid is part of your long term plan, remember that a reverse mortgage payment will affect your eligibility for Medicaid during the month it is received. Carefully review the consequences of a reverse mortgage, before signing the dotted line.

State by state break-down of costs:

http://www.longtermcare.gov/LTC/Main_Site/Paying_LTC/Costs_Of_Care/Costs_Of_Care.aspx

Legal guide for the Seriously Ill: http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/uncategorized/2011/2011_aging_bk_leg_gd_sersly_ill.authcheckdam.pdf

He was like a kid with a new bicycle.

My husband, Ernie, hopped on his brand-new mobility scooter and took it for a spin around the neighborhood, showing off his wheels and feeling the independence he lost after becoming paralyzed on his right side due to stroke.

The second day, he ventured out a little further. By the third day, he was used to the traffic on the main road into the neighborhood and was able to ride all the half-mile to the grocery store and back, toting a 12-pack of Coors Light in his little basket.

It was there he noticed that the sidewalk leads all the way to his favorite watering hole, which is another half-mile away. Life, for Ernie, is good again.

So, when we talk about how boomers are changing the way we age, I envision of Ernie and pals, gathering at the neighborhood bar on "Mobility Mondays", an aging version of "Bike Night." Pride Legends, Jazzys and other mobility scooters will be lined up, like Harleys, for people to admire and compare custom designs and options.

However, Boomers aren't the only seniors changing the way we age. Members of the Silent Generation, those who are 70 and 80 somethings, are getting breast implants, cosmetic surgery and tattoos.

When asked why she was getting implants, 75-year-old Sherry Cook responded, "Because honey, they aren't going to look good without it."

"I didn't want to grow old gracefully," said 78-year-old Helen Lammon, as she to why she got her first tattoo at age 75.

An 80-something Erma Daniels gets laser treatments to fight wrinkles. "I feel good about it," she says. "If I want to do it, why wait?"

Seniors are just like all of us. They want to look the best they can. They want their independence. And like Lammon, who just got her 50th tattoo, they want to show their wild side.

The days of seniors, sitting at the courthouse and whittling, are over. If these stories are any indication, the new seniors are going to be nipped, tucked and tatted, ready for those Mobility Mondays.

Read more:

At 75, she's getting breast implants:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44239927#44239927

Granny trades knitting needles for tattoo ink:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44239927#44175271

More seniors facing the knife:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44239927#44226719

The financial meltdown, subprime mortgages, recession, layoffs or Bernie Madoff...

Pick your favorite reason as to why people are behind on their mortgages are are facing foreclosure and are frantic to find help. These are the people vulnerable to loan modification scams.

You know there is a loan modification program, which will allow you to stay in your home by extending the time of the mortgage or reducing the APR. However, working with the lender is not getting it done, so you go to a loan modification company that guarantees to stop foreclosure and get your loan modified.

The word "guarantee" is your first clue that this is a scam. Fees in advance...scam. Advised to stop paying the mortgage company and pay the loan modification company instead...scam.

Stick with your mortgage company and negotiate with it, says Legal Aid paralegal Pete Frierson, who has dealt with people frustrated with the loan modification process.

"They complain that they send the mortgage companies the same information over and over," Frierson said. "Then, they never get the same person twice on the phone."

Frustrated, home owners contact credit counseling or loan modification companies to assistance and get scammed by the people who were supposed to help.

Companies charge an upfront fee to work with your lender and then don't do any work. Monthly house payment is sent to the company which doesn't make the payment.

"People pay their monthly mortgage to the company and find out that it is going for up front fees and then they are even further behind," Frierson said.

He offers the following tips on dealing with your mortgage company, while steering clear of credit counseling or loan modification companies.

1. Always keep copies of any documents you send to the mortgage company.

2. Always send documents by certified mail, return receipt requested, to prove the lender received the package.

3. When calling the lender, put the conversation on three-way so a witness can hear the conversation. "I've been on calls where the consumer is spoken down and cussed," Frierson said. "When they realize I'm on the line, they hang up. We call back and ask for a supervisor."

4. Understand the terms of your agreement. "If you short sale (owe $100,000 and sell for $50,000) you may get a 1099 showing that $50,000 as taxable income," he said.

Learn more at:

http://www.loanscamalert.org/default.aspx

Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt got a Big Orange hug from Tennessee fans and opponents alike.

All wore orange in support of Summitt, who announce, this week, that she has Alzheimer's disease. They wore orange out of respect. They wore orange because it was something positive they could do, in the wake of this devastating news.

It was a way they could reach out and touch Summitt and her family and show that they are not alone. We are there for her and want to help, even if all it means is to wear orange.

People want to help. If you suffer from a disabling condition...If you are a caregiver to a disabled adult...You need help.

It's easy to feel isolated and helpless when dealing with a disabling conditions, such as Alzheimer's. It's hard to ask for help. It's hard to seek help. But help is what you must have to get through the tough times.

Take this help from the National Family Caregivers Association, so you can find "Lotsa Helping Hands" to give yourself a break.

Free Webinar Getting Started with Lotsa Helping Hands on August 31 at 2 pm EDT.

Families in caregiving situations are often overwhelmed with many offers of help and phone calls to return. If you are looking for ways to help a friend or loved one, or need help yourself, you can create a private community of support at Lotsa Helping Hands. Lotsa Helping Hands provides a free, web-based service for organizing those well meaning offers of help. The service includes an intuitive group calendar for scheduling meals, rides and other daily activities as well as community sections such as well wishes, blogs, and message boards that provide emotional support to the family in need. During this month s webinar, you can learn how to create a community of support, the first steps in setting up the coordination calendar, and tips for inviting members to join your community. Register today at www.lotsahelpinghands.com/webinar

I couldn't say it any better. Get help. Accept help. Feel a Big Orange hug coming through the internet to you. You are not alone.

It's the financial planning tool every senior needs along with a healthy dose of reality.

The durable power of attorney (POA) allows you to designate someone to stand in your stead, when incapacitated. The POA allows your representative to make financial decisions as to what bills get paid, how money is spent and if assets are sold. This is a powerful document that gives your representative a blank check to your estate, with no government oversight on expenditures.

Powers granted to your representative are codified in 21 states, including Tennessee, found at T.C.A. 34-6-101, et al. It states that your representative sign or perform any act deed or matter that ought to be done, that includes receive money, spend money and provide for your support. It does not include the power to change beneficiaries, make gifts or donations without consideration or renounce or disclaim any interest you may have in property.

The POA works well, when your representative operates within the law and with your best interest in mind. He pays the bills, manages the estate and works to ensure there is enough money to care for you the remainder of your days.

Problems occur when the representative, having access to large amounts of cash, start using the estate as their own personal piggy bank. Sons, daughters, professional caregivers, investment advisors, all, have fallen into the trap of using their POA to fund lavish vacations, cars, private school tuition and dog training. There are many reports of persons using the POA to withdraw funds and feed their personal drug and gambling habits.

Consider carefully who you want to be in charge of your finances, upon your incapacitation. Who do you want writing checks and balancing the books? Poor choices are persons who don't have much experience in managing finances. If a person does not have a checking account of their own, he might not have the knowledge to keep funds in order.

If a person is already in financial difficulties or has problems with spending, he would not be a good choice for a POA. The money sitting in your accounts may be too great of a temptation. But, even if he never spent a dime on himself, a spendthrift would not be looking into the future with the goal of preserving funds to the end of your life.

Choose your representative and execute the POA while you do have capacity. This prevents a perpetrator from swooping in and getting you to sign a document you don't understand, naming himself as the POA. "My niece snuck in and got POA then spent a bunch of money until we got it straightened out," said a friend about a recent family situation.

Learn more:

http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/07/krr_prevent_power_of_attorney_abuse.html

http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/uncategorized/2011/2011_aging_bk_leg_gd_sersly_ill.authcheckdam.pdf

It hurt so bad, Leroy Luetscher said he wasn't afraid to die. Just looking at his x-ray was painful enough for me.

Luetscher, 86, had just finished gardening when he fell, face first, into the handle of his pruning shears which went through his eyes socket and lodged in his skull. Surgeons had to rebuild a bone in his eye, after removing the shears, which penetrated six inches and lodged next to the carotid artery.

He is recovering. He is lucky.

Falls are the leading cause of death by accidental injury among people who are older than 65, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). More than 18,000 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries, in 2007, which accounts for 81 percent of all fall deaths.

Falls are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma, says the CDC fact sheet found at http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html. In 2009, 2.2 million nonfatal fall injuries among older adults were treated in hospital emergency rooms, with more than 581,000 of those patients hospitalized for their injuries.

Injuries, due to falls, include fractures of the hip, forearm, leg and pelvis, traumatic brain injuries and lacerations.

Many people develop a fear of falling and, as a result, limit their activities. Reduced mobility leads to loss of physical fitness, which in turn increases their risk of falling.

To reduce your risk of falls, the CDC recommends exercises that focus on increasing leg strength and balance, such as Tai Chi. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review medicines to reduce side effects of dizziness or drowsiness. Seniors should also make their homes safer by reducing tripping hazards, adding grab bars and railings and improving the lighting in their homes.

Learn more:

Pruning shears handle pushed thorugh eye socket during fall:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44324012/ns/us_news-life/

Famous Fallers:

http://www.stopfalls.org/basics/famous_fallers.shtml

Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/toolkit/cksafety.pdf

I'm sure it seems like a good idea.

A signature stamp is so convenient. You can get one from the bank or any print shop and you no longer have to sign your name with a pen in those arthritic hands. You and just stamp and stamp your signature on any document that comes along.

The problem is that anyone who has access to your signature stamp can stamp and stamp his way into your accounts, credit and anything else he wants. In the attached story, an in-home caregiver stamped her way through three quarters of a million dollars of her care receiver's money.

As a result, California is enacting legislation to require bank employees witness and sign all requests for new signature stamps. They would also be required to give customers information on risks of liability with the los or misuse of the stamps. This bill is on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk for signature.

I look at the signature stamp on my desk, purchased at a print shop. I use it for signing certificates for continuing education units. It could be used for any foul purpose, if my co-workers were so inclined. I decide to keep it locked up, after writing this story.

I also use it as a warning to readers. Banks are not the only place to get signature stamps. Anyone wanting access to your account can get them. Don't sign blank sheets of paper, as this is how you get a signature stamp created.

Protect assets. Monitor accounts. Prevention is easier than collecting restitution.

http://studiocity.patch.com/articles/elder-abuse-bill-sparked-by-la-victim-headed-to-governor

Elderly, blind or disabled Tennesseans, who have high, unpaid medical bills, have the opportunity to apply for TennCare assistance during a special open enrollment period, beginning September 12.

The only way to apply for the program is to call the special phone-in line at 1-866-358-3230, from 6 p.m-8:30 p.m. The line will be open each subsequent weekday, during this time period, until a maximum of 2,500 applications are taken.

For more information on the TennCare Standard Spend-Down and eligibility, go to www.tn.gov/TennCare.

http://news.tn.gov/node/7709

The time to choose your Medicare prescription drug coverage comes early this year, with open enrollment running from October 15 through December 7.

This is the consumer's opportunity to compare plan benefits and select which plan is best for his particular drug needs or health care coverage if in an Advantage plan for next year.

Plan Benefits for both prescription drug coverage and Advantage plan coverage do change and consumers are urged to contact their State Health Insurance and Assistance Programs ( TN SHIP) for counseling and assistance. 1-877-801-0044.

SHIPs were established to address the confusion caused by the increase in choices of Medicare supplemental insurance. SHIP counselors also offer information, counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries on matters including enrollment in Medicare prescription drug plans, Medicare Advantage plans, long term care insurance, claims and billing problem resolution, information and referral on Extra Help or the Medicare Savings Program for those with limited income and assets.

SHIPs provide community outreach, education, and one-on-one enrollment assistance to people with Medicare living in the communities served by these local programs.

Learn more:

List of State Health Insurance Offices

Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder
An interactive tool that allows you to narrow your search for a Medicare prescription drug plan based on your personal preferences such as cost, drugs covered and participating pharmacies.

Formulary (Drug) Finder
You enter the drugs you use. This interactive tool finds plans in your area whose formularies cover those drugs.

http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2156

They didn't know what to do.

An elderly Nashville couple, escaping from rising flood waters last May, just sat in their car, until a neighbor checked in and lead them to safety.

Only their dishes were saved.

Another elderly couple was rescued by boat. The wife was bed-ridden in an upstairs room. The husband couldn't get her out of the house, by himself. Rescuers pulled them out of the upstairs window. If not for them, they would have drowned.

These are two, of many stories, of how the elderly were rescued from Nashville flood waters. The common theme is that someone came to help during the disaster.

September is National Preparedness Month in which citizens are urged to make a disaster plan for their family. Preparations include escape routes, meeting places and a three to14 day supply of food, medicine and drinking water. If you want to be warm and comfortable, don't forget blankets and pillows.

Don't forget about the pets. You need 3-14 days of pet food and water for them also.

Add to your preparedness plan a check on your elderly neighbors. They may not be able to think clearly, during the stress of a disaster. They may not be mobile enough to escape, during a disaster. They may not know what to do or where to turn for help.

Your help...your plan... could save their lives.

Learn more:

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/disabled.html

It seemed to be one of those "Duh" questions.

On the topic of nursing home safety, does financial performance of the facility matter?

I mean, the more money a facility makes, the more they can concentrate on safety. The less money a facility makes, puts safety measures at risk, right?

Wrong. Nursing facilities that ranked in the next to the lowest of financial performance performed the best on safety measures, according to the study entitled "Nursing home safety: does financial performance matter?", led by Reid M. Oetjen of the University of Central Florida and published in the Journal of Health Care Finance.

Researchers surveyed 1,197 nursing facilities in the Sunshine State and gathered safety information from an online survey, Certification and reporting (OSCAR) data of 2003 to 2005. Financial performance measures were from the Medicare cost reports of 2002 through 2004. Finally the most frequently cited deficiencies and the relationship between financial performance and quality indicators were also examined.

Naturally, nursing homes at the bottom of the money pit performed poorly on safety measures. But, nursing facilities in the top two categories of financial performance were found to have high numbers of safety deficiencies.

The study shows, that for drug storage deficiencies, the proportion of Florida nursing homes cited was 24 percent in the bottom rung and 20 percent in the top performers. The lowest percentage of cites were with the facilities that were in the third financial tier, at 16 percent and the second tier was at 19 percent.

The study also showed that in medication errors, the top financial tier had more deficiencies that all the others.

The study suggests that the poor performers don't have the money to spend on safety measures and that the top performers sacrifice safety for profit.

The conclusion? The need to monitor nursing home quality and resident safety is reinforced by the study's results.

Who is monitoring the nursing facilities? The Long-term Care Ombudsman. Who advocates for residents on safety and quality of life issues? The Long-term Care Ombudsman. Who can a resident turn to, when problems aren't being addressed? The Long-term Care Ombudsman.

Who are the nation's most vulnerable citizens, who deserve care and respect? The long-term care nursing home residents.

Many states are cutting the Long-term Care Ombudsman program, due to the poor economy. But it is at times like this, that the frail and vulnerable need added protection.

Please sign the petition, found at www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, which includes funding for the nation's Long-term Care Ombudsman program. It also urges issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

If you ever think you will spend time in a nursing home, for any length of time, sign this petition. Support funding for the Ombudsman program by signing the petition www.stampoutelderabuse.org. Sign for the residents. Give them a voice.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stampoutelderabuse/

Learn more:

http://www.biomedsearch.com/nih/Nursing-home-safety-does-financial/21528833.html

Fiercely independent.

That was the eulogy at my husband's grandfather's funeral, held last week, after he died from a fall.

He was 99-years-old, just had his driver's license renewed and still living on his own when he fell. The account was that he hit his head and was bleeding when he tried to get up. You could see blood on the wall where he was struggling, trying to pull himself up.

He suffered a heart attack from his struggle to get up. He was conscious when he was found the next day by a neighbor...one who "checked on him" by stopping in for coffee. He died, in the hospital, two days later.

We were glad he was able to live on his own until the end. However, the thought of him lying on the cold floor for nearly 12 hours, after suffering a heart attack, was painful to his loved ones. It left us with questions on how this could have been avoided? How could we have left our vulnerable grandfather to suffer like this, in his final days?

Phone calls were useless, because he was hearing-impaired. He could not hear the phone ring, so he didn't answer the phone. And because he didn't answer the phone, nobody called him.

We could have equipped his phone with a ring signaller, so a lamp, in his home, would flash when someone called. That way, he would know to answer and a missed phone call would have alerted us to a problem.

He could have worn a med-alert alarm, so all he would do is push a button and wait for help.

But that fierce independence got in the way of assistance. He was too proud. Nobody needed to check up on him. He didn't need any help.

I heard about him through the years. I heard how he lived alone. I heard how he didn't want help. I heard how he didn't want people to be bothered by checking on him. And I heard how his family loved him and wanted the best for him.

And I saw the river of tears his family shed as they said goodbye.

Don't let fierce independence get in the way of safety. Falls are the most common cause of death by accidental injury among people who are older than 65.

If you are the vulnerable adult, understand that checking up on you is not relieving you of any independence. It is a sign of love and care. It is a sign that your family want you to remain with them for a long time.

And if you are a family member, trying to get your elder to cooperate with safety measures, remind him: It will be you at the funeral, crying the river of tears. Don't add to the grief, knowing a safety measure, such as a med-alert bracelet, could have saved his life.

Learn more:

http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html

The end of Alzheimer's starts with me.

That is mantra of the inaugural World Alzheimer's month this September 2011. The designation of World Alzheimer's Month shows the importance of this issue on the international political scene. All countries are facing aging populations, with the projected epicenter of the Alzheimer's epidemic hitting the virtual Richter scale in just 10 years.

Currently, there is an estimated 34 million Americans who suffer from the disease, with 15 million caregivers. This number is expected to double in 10 years, when one in eight, over the age 55, will be directly impacted by the disease.

Promising research shows promise in detecting the disease earlier than the onset of symptoms, in the forms of eye exams or blood tests. Also, promising is the initial findings of a small scale study which slowed progression of the disease with the use of insulin nasal spray.

Don't wait for the crisis to hit before you become concerned about Alzheimer's and dementia. Become an advocate today.

Do the easy stuff. Tweet this article, or the ones attached at the end. Go to the Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition Facebook page and click like to spread the word.

Recognize September 21 as Alzheimer's Action Day, by wearing purple. Raise awareness on Facebook by changing your profile picture to the END ALZ icon, which can be found here http://www.alz.org/wam/wam.asp#boxHome.

Do the heavy lifting by contacting your legislators to show your support for Alzheimer's research and funding.

Do it so we can celebrate the cure for Alzheimer's in 10 years, rather than drowning in the projected dementia tsunami.

Insulin nasal spray may slow Alzheimer's progression

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44489974/ns/health-alzheimers_disease/

Eye test may aid in early Alzheimer's detection:

http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20110718/eye-test-spots-alzheimers-before-symptoms

Anti-Alzheimer's diet:

http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-04-2010/health_discovery_the_anti_alzheimer_s_diet.html

Joy found in Alzheimer's caregiving:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110913/LIFE03/309130035/Navigating-dementia?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

You can see it coming on like a rocket launch; the trembling, the red face then the full explosion of fury, as the temper tantrum explodes.

Then, comes the hitting, pushing, punching, isolation, name calling...everything to keep the victim down and the abuser in control.

Intervention seems to be a good answer. Stop the abuse by teaching the victims about what abuse is, how to identify it and to call the police. Let the perpetrator know that this household is going to be monitored. It reduced rates of violence with domestic violence victims, so researcher decided to try it on elder abuse.

At the end of the study, researchers found that the victims who received public education and home visits reported more frequent and significantly higher levels of physical abuse than the control households.

The most plausible explanation researchers could find was that the interventions incited the abusers rather than modulating their response to an anger trigger.

The findings reflect what victims already know; "If I tell, it will be worse."

The researchers speculate that elder abuse victims are often dependent on their abusers in multiple ways and, compared with domestic violence victims, may have even less hope of gaining independence from their abusers.

It's no wonder that elder abuse is so under-reported.

That leaves it up to you, me and anyone else who cares about the elderly, to keep watch and report.

It's up to you, me and anyone else who cares about the elderly, to be their voice and let legislators know that we do not tolerate abuse of our most frail citizens.

It's up to you, me and anyone else who wants peace in their advance age to work for solutions.

The easy way is to sign the petition, found at www.stampoutelderabuse.org, which calls for full funding of the Elder Justice Act, which includes funding for the nation's Adult Protective Services program, which investigates reports of elder abuse. It also urges issuance of an elder abuse stamp to raise funds for elder prevention programs, for a presidential proclamation of the day and to light the White House purple on that date.

Learn more:

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/188675.pdf

Kids, close your eyes and ears. You may not be ready for this.

Just because you are old, doesn't mean you lose your desire for sexual relations. Just think about former South Carolina Senator Strom Thurman, who fathered his last child at age 78. Obviously, he was still going strong at that advanced age.

The problem with sex and the elderly comes when they are in a nursing facility and suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia. Is the sexual contact consensual or not? Is it a crime or not?

John O'Connor, Alzheimer's patient, and husband of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, found new love at the assisted living facility where he resided. His son described him "as a teenager in love."

However, many times, sexual contact with a nursing facility resident is abuse. The victim can't tell what happened; he or she can only react to the pain and fear of what happened.

How you tell the difference was a topic of discussion at the National Adult Protective Services (NAPSA) conference being held this week in Buffalo, NY.

Deidre Lok, counsel, and Robin Dessell of The Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, provided the audience with a cheat sheet for workers, to help determine good touching and bad touching among residents.

Is it a crime or is it a relationship? Is it abuse, with no clear intention by the perpetrator to commit a sexual offense or is it inappropriate contact with a resident who lacks impulse control, the sheet asks.

Is the partner able to express choices? Does it make him or her happy? Workers are urged to observe emotions and mood before and after the sexual contact.

Does the partner have the ability to appreciate sexual activity? Does the couple know how to stop it, if desired?

Finally, workers are asked about the personal quality of life choices in the here and now. Consider the couple,s cognitive impairment and their past and present relationships, including family.

The elderly, including Alzheimer's patients, have privacy and intimacy rights. All these questions should be asked to determine consent of sexual activity.

Get financial and healthcare advice to protect your loved ones from investment swindles and financial abuse through a nationwide call-in on November 10, sponsored by Kiplinger's Personal Finances, Investor Protection Network, Financial Planning Association, Adult Protective Serices and other organizations.

Callers, from 9 a.m. from 6 p.m. eastern time, can discuss their concerns and questions regarding general finances, to protect against fraud, medical, regarding a person's ability to make decisions, and financial abuse, on how to recognize exploitation and what to do if your loved one is being financially abused.

On November 10, call:

General Finance questions

888-227-1776

Medical questions

888-303-0430

Financial abuse questions

888-303-3297

Learn more:

http://investorprotection.org/downloads/pdf/learn/Prevent_Elder_Fraud_Call-In_Flyer.pdf

Grandma had twelve children, including four sets of twins. Seven survived to adulthood. Six made it to old age. Of those six, five were financially exploited.

This was the statistic I cam home with from a family reunion held this past weekend.

One had a relative caregiver who, when sent to the bank for $20, would widraw $200. Grandma got her $20, the relative got $180, each time, for a total of $5,000.

One had children fighting over money before the mother passed. The caregiver child and allied siblings got their mother to sign a power of attorney, less than two weeks before she died of lung cancer. The certificates of deposits and bank accounts were depleted and money spent before the funeral. The changed will, leaving out two of the children, was never executed.

One outlived her husband and children, so was left in the care of her son-in-law, whom she despised and who, most likely, was a frequent victim of her sharp tongue. Payback was hell, as she was neglected and her money spent on things, other than her care.

Another was financially exploited by his wife and children, who used all the household funds for their needs. They relied on the kindness of relatives to pay for medicine, food and other necessary medical items, during his final year as he suffered from cancer. There was also reports of physical abuse, which often go hand-in-hand with financial abuse.

My father was exploited by a "new friend", a drug addict, for 10 years. He tried to help her and would not accept that "tough love" was the only way to get her out of his pocket and on her own. She was verbally abusive to her benefactor, who just kept doling out the cash. The only reason the money stopped flowing to her, was because he died.

These five instances were not reported to the police.

The New York Elder Abuse Prevelance study estimates that for every one financial abuse case reported, there could range from 10 to 44 that go unreported.

My own little family survey shows that five out of five go unreported. Why? Because four out of five involved family members. The fifth, "new friend", got her money from a willing benefactor who could not be dissuaded from bankrolling her crack addiction.

Financial abuse is a larger crime than we know. It costs elders, their families and the government untold millions of dollars in lost income. It impoverishes seniors and forces them to go on Medicaid and accept other public benefits.

Here, during October's Fraud and Financial Abuse Awareness Month, we need to be aware that financial exploitation is common. It is abusive. It deserves national attention. It deserves solutions.

Learn more about the signs of financial exploitation:

http://helpguide.org/mental/elder_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm

The Utah Cost of financial exploitation:

http://www.dhs.utah.gov/pdf/utah-financial-exploitation-study.pdf

It started as a study to determine the prevalance of parents stealing IDs of their minor children.

It ended finding that the prevalance of adult children stealing their elderly parents IDs was a bigger problem.

It found that two million elders, shared social security numbers with a younger family member, making it likely the adult child has stolen their parent's ID. The study, by security firm ID Analytics, searched billions of credit card applications and matched social security numbers with family members who are roughly 20 years younger than their 70-80 family member.

Elder financial exploitation, dubbed "the crime of the 21st Century" is robbing older Americans of an estimated $2.9 billion annually, according to "The MetLife Study of Elder financial Abuse: Crimes of Occasion, Desperation and Predation Against America's Elders" which was released in June.

That study found that although 51 percent of reported elder financial abuse was committed by strangers, family, friends and neighbors followed up at 34 percent of those who reported exploitation.

In those cases, caretakers, family members and other trusted helpers to the elder, seize the opportunity to forge check, steal credit cards, pilfer bank accounts and leave them with nothing, according to the study.

When an elder becomes destitute, he must rely on government assistance for food and healthcare. The taxpayers foot the bill.

October is Fraud and Financial Abuse Awareness Month. Don't become a victim of "the Crime of the 21st Century". Monitor accounts. Monitor credit.

Be alert. Be aware and report any abuse you suspect.

http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/03/8124410-stealing-elderly-parents-identities-a-hidden-common-crime

Met Life Study:

http://www.metlife.com/about/press-room/us-press-releases/index.html?compID=48911

The family portrait of mother, father, and son was all the proof she needed.

The scammer, who insinuated himself into her life, was her long lost son. Just look at the picture.

The con took the photo from the woman, who suffered from mild dementia. He photoshopped his image in between the husband and wife, the poof... A family was born!

The scammer became her long lost son. He was loving and happy to care for his newly found mother. He especially was helpful when it was time to go to the bank to drain her accounts. And if the woman had any question about who this person was, all she had to do was look at her family photo and be reassured.

Scammers will do anything to separate elders from their money. Be aware that your elder may not have the ability to know the difference between a friend or foe.

Common signs that someone is a victim of financial exploitation include failure to pay bills, lack of money for food or medicine, large amounts of money withdrawn or transferred from accounts, missing personal property or belongings and isolation of the elder from friends or family.

Keep the lines of communication open with your elder. Visit often and monitor accounts. If you suspect financial exploitation, report it.

It is easier to stop scammers than to get the money back.

Learn more about scams on elderly:

http://www.socialpc.com/SocialIssues/Scams-On-The-Elderly.html

Contrary to the youth oriented media and culture bias, aging is a good thing, says Dr. Richard Machemer of St. Jon Fisher College in New York.

Machemer blames "D" words, Disease, Disability and Dysfunction, for the public's distaste and disgust with aging.

Just think about the alternative; if you don't age, you Die.

By 2050, one in four Americans will be over the age of 65, and if you want to see what that looks like, "go to Florida," he told a group at the National Adult Protective Services Conference, held last month in Buffalo.

Machemer says that 40 percent of aging is genetics and 60 percent is environmental, so that "more than half of aging is something that we can control."

That does not mean you can stop or reverse aging, but can mitigate the consequences of aging, such as wrinkling.

"You get wrinkles three ways; from the sun, smoking and smiling," Mechemer. You can control your exposure to the sun, you can stop smoking, "but don't stop smiling. Those wrinkles aren't deep."

A normal part of aging is losing muscle and gaining fat, which restricts mobility. A study of women, in their 80s and 90s who lived in a nursing facility, were given weight training for six weeks. At the end of the six weeks, they gained enough muscle to balance and walk unassisted.

"The staff couldn't keep up with them" Mechemer said. After the study stopped and the weight training stopped, the women quickly lost muscle mass and were unable to walk unassisted.

Physical exercise is the most positive thing, physically and cognitively, a person can do to age successfully, which means aging without the three "D's".

"To avoid unnecessary disease you must actively promote health and wellness," he said. "Fully engage in life. You must have something to do."

He said we don't want to foster institutional dependence. We want to maintain as high of a cognitive and physical functioning level that we can.

"Aging is a series of processes that cause changes and an ability to continue to live," Mechemer said. "Age is change."

Learn more about healthy aging:

http://www.healthyaging.net/

Notes left on home-delivered newspapers tell all to elderly scam victims.

The telephone scammer, who is threatening physical harm unless money is paid, knows where you live.

One woman received a notice that she had won a BMW, said New York prosecutor Liz Loewy, at the National Elder Financial Exploitation Summit, held last month in Buffalo.

"She went to claim her prize and nobody knew anything about it," Loewy said. "But the scammer saw her and, now, knew what she looked like."

Financial abuse, termed the "Crime of the 21st Century" is also carried out by family members, who steal from their parents and grandparents.

Loewy said part of the problem is that family members feel they are entitled to the money. "I'm in the will or I'm the only one in the will, but nowhere in the law excuses family members" from taking money from their elderly relatives, she said.

Financial exploitation cases are the most difficult to prosecute, but there are certain aspects prosecutors can look at to make a case, Loewy said.

"Is there a conspiracy to steal from an estate?" she asked. "Are there false instruments or documents offered for filing? Has a gift tax been paid?"

Factors that contribute to the prevalence of elder abuse include that a high percentage of elders live alone and may be more vulnerable to scams and believe pitches that they hear.

Common signs that someone may be a victim of financial abuse include the failure to pay bills, inability to buy food or medicine, large amounts of money withdrawn or transferred, missing personal property or belongings and isolation of the elder from friends or family.

October is Fraud and Financial Abuse Awareness Month. Resolve to prevent financial exploitation by staying in contact with your elder. Be a friend and advisor. Monitor accounts so your loved one won't become a financial abuse statistic.

Implanted defibrillators can save lives for those at risk of cardiac arrest, but also unnecessarily cause a painful death by shocking the dying, as their hearts rhythms slow to a stop.

The defibrillators are programed to detect abnormal rhythms and to restart the heart.

The shocks are agonizing to the dying, according to the report, and can be prevented by turning off or recalibrating the device.

Doctors are reluctant to initiate this dialogue with patients, as they don't want patients and families to give up hope.

Families, whose loved ones have an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator should discuss this matter with their doctor to help their loved one have a peaceful death.

Learn more:

http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/07/8212715-shocking-ending-implanted-defibrillators-can-bring-misery-to-final-hours

People with developmental disabilities are disproportionately at high risk for violent victimization, abuse and neglect, according to a 2001 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, said Scott J. Modell, director of the Autism Center for Excellence at Sacremento State.

These persons are 10 times more likely to be victimized by sexual assault that ordinary citizens, according to a 1995 study, said Modell, who was speaking at the National Adult Protective Services conference held last month in Buffalo, NY. This is a summary of his presentation, gathered from his power point presentation at that conference. This is condensed from Workshop 104 in the materials.

Some offenders seek victims with disabilities because they are perceived to be vulnerable, unable to seek help and cannot or will not report the crime.

To communicate effectively, the investigator must determine the function level of the victim, as to high or low and if his verbalization is better than just "speaks well" or limited, which is more than "doesn't speak".

Does he speak well? Does he have expressive non-verbal language, such as gestures, facial expressions, etc. Does he understand when he is spoken to. Does he understand facial expressions, gestures and other non-verbal cues? Does he literally interpret expressions, such as "raining cats and dogs" and look outside for the animals falling from the sky?

Take your time when interviewing persons with intellectual disabilities. Avoid negative interrogative questions, such as "You don't like Mr. Steve? or questions posed in the negative "do you not like getting dressed?"

Avoid confusion by using proper names for people, locations and acts. Don't ask, "where were you when he did that?" which is confusing to someone with intellectual disabilities. A better question is "where were you when Steve punched your stomach?"

Ideally, you want to ask open ended questions that don't suggest an answer, such as "What happened on Thursday?" Leading questions, ones that you can answer with a yes or no, are poor choices because they do suggest details of the event and answers, such as "did Mr. Steve touch your penis?" said Modell.

There is non-leading yes-or-no questions. Examples are "Did someone hurt you? Do you know wh0 hurt you?"

Avoid influencing responses with your expressions or comments. Individuals with disabilities are taught to get along, so if they think you don't like their answer, they will change it to please you. Research says that people with intellectual disabilities can be as accurate as those without but are more suggestible.

How do you avoid influencing responses? Keep your body language and voice tone neutral, such as nodding your head or interrogative statements. Avoid conversational punctuations, such as saying "Good!" And resist the temptation to be helpful and supportive.

When you have a victim with unintelligible speech, create yes/no communication and, if they are able, have them write or draw their response or show you what happened. Ask a support person how they communicate and they may be able to interpret and verify with the victim by yes or no.

Other ways of communicating include augumentative and alternate communication, such as signing, pointing to a picture board or by computer.

Speak directly to the person using the alternative communication and do not assume he has an intellectual disability.

Considering that 3,440,000 baby boomers turned 65 since January 1, 2011, it is a safe bet that topic of keeping seniors healthy and off Medicaid will be a front burner issue in decades to come.

So, it is not surprising to see that Valencia College, in CA, is offering a first of its kind program to teach what it's like to grow old and offer practical skills to assist seniors in remaining healthy, and maintain a good quality of life as they age.

The "Skills for Healthy Aging Resources and Programs " course is designed to bring some standard to the profession of those who work with seniors.

Read more at : http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-senior-program-20111211,0,6554684.story

One in four people, by the year 2030 will be over the age of 65, and if you want to see what that is like "go to Florida", said a speaker at a recent aging conference.

Florida is well known as being a retiree's paradise and is especially attractive as a wealthy senior's domicile due to no inheritance tax in that state. That, along with beautiful beaches and warm weather, make it attractive to elder's who want to enjoy life in their final years. Seniors are active and vital members of Florida society.

The question is, in this living laboratory of an aging society, how seniors are treated once they need assisted living or long term care in a nursing facility.

Based on the Miami Herald's continuing series "Neglected to Death", it is not good.

Florida's assisted living and long term care residents were being "neglected to death" before the state Long Term Care Ombudsman was sacked and replaced with one recommended by ALFs.

The Long Term Care Ombudsman program is funded through the Administration on Aging to ensure residents in long term care facilities have a good quality of life in their home. Yes, a long term care facility is a resident's home, where the residents should be the kings and queens of the castle.

However, it appears in Florida, that the needs of residents are secondary as the strength of the Ombudsman program advocacy program continues to be silenced. First the Long-Term Care Ombudsman was sacked for one more favorable to residential facility operators. Then a new form was dispersed, to further impede Ombudsman volunteers from reporting observed issues, like roaches. Now, outspoken volunteers are being fired for speaking out on the changes, according to the series.

Is this what we want for our seniors? Is this what the former homemakers, executives, teachers, veterans, laborers deserve in their final years. Is this what you want for your mother, father or grandparents? To be in a system that rewards neglect?

I still like to visit Florida. But I think I will stay in Tennessee to die.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/12/v-fullstory/2543675/inspections-decline-as-elder-watchdogs.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/12/v-fullstory/2543675/inspections-decline-as-elder-watchdogs.html

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111212/Alzheimere28099s-disease-vaccine-developed-by-Australian-scientists.aspx

If your loved one suffers from Alzheimer's or dementia and wanders, it may be time to go shoe shopping.

You can now get shoes with GPS tracking to locate your lost patient in no time. The shoes can be synced with Google map to pinpoint where he is.

Manufacturers say that where the Alzheimer's patient may remove a tracking pendant or bracelet, he will keep on the shoes, making a quick recovery more likely.

Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/10/27/gps-shoes-for-alzheimers-patients/

GPS shoe website:

http://www.gpsshoe.com/

Resolve to keep hackers out of your online accounts by using a secure password. If your password is one listed below, count is as one of the top 25 most common passwords used, according to the Internet Crime Center, found at www.ic3.gov.

1. password 2. 123456 3. 12345678 4. qwerty 5. abc123 6. monkey 7. 1234567 8. letmein 9. trustno1 10. dragon 11. baseball 12. 111111 13. iloveyou 14. master 15. sunshine 16. ashley 17. bailey 18. passw0rd 19. shadow 20. 123123 21. 654321 22. superman 23. qazwsx 24. michael 25. football

Why does solving "Wheel of Fortune" puzzles get harder as you age?

You used to get them with no vowels, when you were in your 20s. In your 40s, you wanted the A and E. By age 50, you're willing to chip in to buy the I, O and U to solve the puzzle. What's going on with that?

Your brain uses electrical signals to encode and convey information. For a thought to process, the brain must produce a brief, but very large electrical signal called action potentials. The action potential is the vehicle in which thoughts, commands and movements are sent through the nervous system.

Action potentials are harder to produce in older brains, which slow the thought process. Researchers identified that sodium channels, the activation properties in membrane proteins, influence how rapidly an action potential is produced. Changes to these membranes slow the flow of sodium ions to neurons which, in turn, slows the thought process.

Think of the action potential as your car and the sodium channel as gas. The quicker you fill your tank, the quicker you are on your way. However, if there is a problem with the pump and it takes longer to fill the tank and longer for you to move along.

And if the fuel pump is really gunked up, you may not get a full tank of gas and can only get half-way there...or not at all.

This is what happens in a normal, healthy brain as it ages. It does not take into effect the damage from constricted blood vessels caused by smoking, obesity and the related diseases, such as stroke and diabetes.

Keep your sodium channel fuel pump clean from gunk with a healthy lifestyle so your action potentials speed through that brain. You'll need extras for the puzzle in the Final Spin.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/02/02/changes-to-neurons-hamper-the-aging-brain/34377.html

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/02/02/changes-to-neurons-hamper-the-aging-brain/34377.html