A world issue, not just an American one

We are pretty fortunate here in the United States of America, in that there are many resources available to families and patients with Alzheimer's disease.  The numbers are staggering here with over 5 million people facing the disease, and the majority of caregivers are family members. Naturally, this is an monumental strain on finances, emotions, health and social activities for those caregivers.  In the past three years or so, there has been much more awareness brought to this epidemic and more and more resources and help has blossomed.  I believe that caregivers have a much better chance of knowing where to go for help, whereas when I was in that situation, I didn't.  So, the awareness is a good thing, although there is still much that needs to be done for family caregivers.

I have friends in Italy who are struggling with the rise in Alzheimer's patients. There, they have no facilities to provide 24 hour care to these patients. There are no assisted living facilities or nursing homes with staff trained to care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. The burden falls directly on the families.  There is an adult daycare facility in Caltanissetta that just opened a month ago and they are fighting the state to keep it opened.  The funds are there but the State doesn't deem it necessary enough to provide contiuous funding.  This is absurd!  How are families supposed to find the time and enery to work, to provide for themselves if there is no place for rtheir loved ones and no opportunity for respite care?

I am an advocate for caregivers.  I am also a proponent for keeping the loved ones at home.  I don't like nursing homes (that should be a last resort), because the care there is provided on a cookie cutter basis. There is nothing like a loving child, spouse, brother or sister.  I'd like to see trained, skilled caregivers who, most importantly are sincere, tender, and loving to come into homes and relieve the family member.  I'd like daycare facilities to be available to family caregivers.  How can this be accomplished?  I'm not so sure that money is the answer because I have seen and heard so much about caregivers abusing and mistreating the elderly.  It has to come from a heart filled with love and passion for the elderly.  I wish I knew how to do this. I would love to help those suffering in Italt, as well as those here in this country.

Thinking out loud

It is easy for a person suffering with dementia to be cast aside by family and friends.  Unfortunately some people just don't want to deal with the situation or maybe they can't face it.  But family caregivers are cast aside too.  They lose social connections and social activities because of their time constraints.  Life takes a different turn and many times the family caregiver is alone.  The computer age has brought about social networks and support groupsonline, but there is nothing like personal affection and attention.

Winners chosen

Congratulations to Rochelle, Nichole, and Kim who each won a signed copy of Julita's Sands: A Memoir in the Goodreads giveaway sweepstakes!

Your chance to win!!

Here's your chance to win a signed copy of  the most talked about Alzheimer's memoir of this time, Julita's Sands: A Memoir!

Go here to enter to win.
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/5210-julita-s-sands-a-memoir

Life after death

Three years ago yesterday, mom died. I am just coming to terms with everything now. Statistics show that it can take three years or more for a family caregiver to heal after the death of their loved one. Boy, that is true!  I am still healing.  Writing our story was therapeutic for me. Now that Julita's Sands: A Memoir is published and selling, I can feel mom with me evry moment of every day.  She breathes life into our book. In essence mom continues to live in the written word.  Her spirit goes on and many, many people are meeting her for the first time after her death. How wonderful!!

She's not our mother anymore.

That was a statement one of my sisters made when my mom was in the throes of dementia.  It was in response to an email that I had sent my sister letting her know that mom stopped recognizing her kids.  You see, I had a picture of my sister's children hanging on the wall in my mom's bedroom. Mom got agitated when she saw the photo because she didn't know who the kids were.  Mom told me that she didn't want a picture of strangers in her room, so I ended up taking it down. That's when I emailed my sister to let her know.

My sister's statement really got to me.  Oh really? So, just because mom was suffering from dementia as a result of Alzheimer's, she wasn't our mother anymore?  That, right there, explained to me why my sister didn't bother to call or visit mom while she stayed with me in my home. 

In all fairness, my sister isn't the only one who makes statements like that. I've heard people say that an Alzheimer's patient isn't the same person as before.  I don't know, that just sounds so cold and demeaning.  They are the same person! They can't help it if a disease is destroying their thoughts and memories, and playing havock with their personality.  They are still the same person they were before, only with a disease.  As a matter of fact, that is one of things that the Alzheimer's patient want more than anything else. To be the same, to be able to so the same things as before. When someone says that they aren't the same person, it denegrates them, makes them feel inferior. 

What I discovered while taking care of my mother, was who she was.  Mom and I bonded like never before and we fell in love all over again.  She always was my mother to me.  I never looked at her any other way.  I think that's why my sister was able to pretty much sweep our mother under the carpet, so to speak.  What a shame.

Will there ever be a cure?

A friend of mine asked me that question the other day, about Alzheimer's Disease. It's a very good question. With all the years of research, awareness and efforts on the part of a lot of people pushing for a cure for cancer, there still isn't one. I don't know that there will ever be one. It makes me wonder if we are being duped by the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. I mean, do they want a cure for cancer? Look at the money they would lose. Yes, there are treatments, and that's where the money is. Get the patients to commit to continuous treatment.

Well, my friend and I feel it's the same with Alzheimer's Disease. Research is being done to come up with pills to alleviate memory loss, and research is being done to come up with early detection. So, what does that mean? The patients will be hustled back and forth from clinics, physicians, and pharmacies for treatment. I'm not saying that if there is a way to stem the disease they shouldn't do it. By all means, whatever can help the patient and caregivers, I'm for. But, I don't hold out much hope that there will be a cure. To my way of thinking, we need to focus on the here and now. My focus is on the caregivers, because without them, Alzheimer's patients would not have a chance. I believe in making the patient's life as serene, happy, and fulfilled as possile, not necessarily to prolong their life. Quality is better than quantity. That's why I am using the proceeds from book sales to give aid to caregivers and families confronting Alzheimer's.

Look who has had and now has Alzheimer's

Famous people who have or have had Alzheimer's and related dementias. At the bottom of this list are the names of notable people who are currently confronting Alzheimer's disease in their families.

Charles Bronson - November 3, 1921 died August 30, 2003) was an American actor of "tough guy", or "macho" roles.

Charlton Heston - (born October 4, 1924) is an American film actor. In a long career he was mostly known for playing heroic roles such as Moses in The Ten Commandments, Colonel George Taylor in Planet of the Apes, and Judah Ben-Hur in Ben-Hur.Charlton Heston is lost in a world of Alzheimer's Disease, according to close family friends.

Rita Hayworth - (October 17, 1918 died May 14, 1987), Margarita Carmen Cansino, better known as Rita Hayworth, was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Spanish flamenco dancer Eduardo Cansino (Sr.) and English/Irish-American Ziegfeld girl Volga Hayworth. After about 1960, Hayworth suffered from extremely early onset of Alzheimer's disease, which was not diagnosed until 1980. She continued to act in films until the early 1970s and made a well-publicized 1971 appearance on The Carol Burnett Show. Both of her brothers died within a week of each other in March 1974, saddening her greatly, and causing her to drink even more heavily than before. Rita Hayworth public diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in 1980 was a big step in destigmatizing the degenerative disease.

Ronald Reagan - Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 died June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981-1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967-1975). Born in Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s. In July 1989, the Reagans took a trip to Mexico, where Reagan was thrown off a horse and taken to a hospital for tests. The Reagans returned to the U.S. and visited the Mayo Clinic where they were told President Reagan had a head concussion and a subdural hematoma, and was subsequently operated on. Doctors believe that is what hastened the onset of Alzheimer's disease, an incurable neurological disorder which ultimately causes brain cells to die, and something Reagan was diagnosed with in 1994.

Alfred Van Vogt - Born on a farm in Edenburg, a Russian Mennonite community east of Gretna, Manitoba, Canada, van Vogt was one of the most popular and highly esteemed science fiction writers of the 1940s. Van Vogt's first published SF story, "Black Destroyer" (Astounding Science Fiction, July 1939), was inspired by The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin.

Sugar Ray Robinson - (born Walker Smith Jr., May 3, 1921 died April 12, 1989) was a professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time. Robinson was a fluid boxer who possessed a quick jab and knockout power. He possessed tremendous versatility, according to boxing analyst Bert Sugar, "Robinson could deliver a knockout blow going backward." In Robinson's last years, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He died in Los Angeles at the age of 67.

Burgess Meredith - (November 16, 1907 - September 9, 1997) Burgess Meredith was a versatile two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor. He was known for portraying Rocky Balboa's trainer Mickey Goldmill in the Rocky films and The Penguin in the television series Batman.

Iris Murdoch - (15 July 1919 died 8 February 1999) Iris Murdoch was a Dublin-born writer and philosopher. Her first published novel, Under the Net, was selected in 2001 by the editorial board of the American Modern Library as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

Jack Lord - (December 30, 1920 died January 21, 1998) Jack O'Brien was an American television, film, and Broadway actor, famous for his role in Hawaii Five-O. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Jack Lord was the son of Irish-American parents. His father, William Lawrence Ryan was a steamship company executive. His first work on Broadway was in Traveling Lady with Kim Stanley. He was then cast as a replacement for Ben Gazarra in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Jack Lord died of congestive heart failure at his home on January 21, 1998 in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the age of 77.

Abe Burrows - (December 18, 1910 died May 17, 1985) Abe Burrows was a noted American humorist, author, and director for both the radio and the stage, particularly Broadway. He began working as a runner on Wall Street while at NYC, and he also worked in an accounting firm. After he met Frank Galen in 1938, the two wrote and sold jokes to an impressionist who appeared on the Rudy Valle radio program. Abe burrows later suffered of dementia at an older age.

Kay Swift - (1897-1993) Kay Swift was an American composer of popular and classical music, the first woman to score a complete musical. Swift was educated as a classical musician and composer at the Institute of Musical Art (now known as the Juilliard School). Her teacher of composition was Charles Loeffler, while harmony and composition was taught to her by Percy Goetschius. Her marriage to a cowboy and subsequent move to Oregon prompted an autobiographical novel, Who Could Ask For Anything More? Which was made into the film Never a Dull Moment in 1950, which had a Kay Swift musical score.

Barry Goldwater - (January 2, 1909 died May 29, 1998) was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona (1953-1965, 1969-87) and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. He was a Major General in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. He was also referred to as "Mr. Conservative". Goldwater is the politician most often credited for sparking the resurgence of the American conservative political movement in the 1960s. By the 1980s, the increasing influence of the Christian Right on the Republican Party so conflicted with Goldwater's libertarian views that he became a vocal opponent of the religious right on issues such as abortion and gay rights. Goldwater concentrated on his Senate duties, especially passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986.

Dana Andrews - (January 1, 1909 - December 17, 1992) was an American film actor. Andrews signed a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and nine years after arriving in Los Angeles was offered his first movie role in William Wyler's The Westerner (1940), starring Gary Cooper. In the 1943 movie adaptation of The Ox-Bow Incident with Henry Fonda, often

Harry Ritz - The Ritz Brothers were a comedy team who appeared in 1930s films, and as live performers from 1925 to the late 1960s.

Mervyn Leroy - (October 15, 1900 - September 13, 1987) was an Academy Award-winning American film director, producer and sometime actor. 1560 Vine Street.

Rockwell - (February 3, 1894 died November 8, 1978) Norman Rockwell was a 20th century American painter and illustrator. In 1943, during the Second World War, Rockwell painted the Four Freedoms series, which was completed in seven months and resulted in his losing 15 pounds. The series was inspired by a speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which he described four principles for universal rights: Freedom from Want, Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Worship, and Freedom from Fear.

Perry Como - (May 18, 1912 died May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with it in 1943. "Mr. C", as he was nicknamed, sold millions of records for RCA and also pioneered a weekly musical variety television show, which set the standards for the genre and proved to be one of the most successful in television history. His combined success on television and popular recordings was not matched by any other artist of the time.

Estelle Getty July 23, 1923 died July 22, 2008. Estelle Scher-Gettleman, better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, theatre and television. She is best known for her role as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992, which won her an Emmy and a Golden Globe, on The Golden Palace from 1992 to 1993 and on Empty Nest from 1993 to 1995. In her later years, after retiring from acting, she battled Lewy body dementia.

Peter Falk (born September 16, 1927) is an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo. He appeared in numerous films and television guest roles, and has been nominated for an Academy Award twice, and won the Emmy Award on five occasions and the Golden Globe award once. At a two day conservatorship trial in Los Angeles in June 2009, one of Falk's personal physicians, Dr. Stephen Read, reported Falk rapidly slipped into dementia after a series of dental operations in 2007. Dr. Read said it was unclear whether Falk's condition worsened as a result of anesthesia or some other reaction to the operations.

Aaron Copland - composer

Arlene Francis - actor

Arthur O'Connell - actor

Betty Schwartz - Olympic gold medal winner in track events

Bill Quackenbush - professional hockey player

Carroll Campbell - Former Rebublican Senator

Irving Shulman - screenwriter

James Brooks - artist

James Doohan - actor famous for his role as Scoty in Star Trek.

Joe Adcock - baseball player

John Douglas French - physician

Joyce Chen - chef

Louis Feraud - fashion designer

Mabel Albertson - actor

Marv Owen - baseball player

Mike Frankovich - film producer

Molly Picon - actor

Norman Otto Preminger - director

Paul Silva Henriquez - Roman Catholic cardinal, human rights advocate

Ross MacDonald - author

Rudolph Bing - opera impresario

Simon Scott - actor

Thomas Dorsey - singer

Tom Fears - professional football player and coach

Willem DeKooning - artist

First Lady Laura Bush
Care situation: Moved mother into a retirement home five years ago; dad died of Alzheimer's."There are things you can do as a long-distance caregiver. One thing: You can build a support group in your parents' neighborhood, get to know all the neighbors, exchange phone numbers."
Interesting aside: While living in Washington DC, Bush traveled regularly to Texas to help arrange her parents' care. Being in one of the world's most high profile lives didn't spare her the need to establish eyes, hears, and hands on the ground miles away –- a great way to help prolong a parent's independent living.

Maria Shriver
Care situation: Father Sargent Shriver has advanced Alzheimer's; mother Eunice Kennedy had a stroke the same year he was diagnosed, 2003. "My kids dealt with the person that was sitting in front of them. Like, 'What are you doing, Grandpa?' And, 'What are you doing today?' And they didn't get into who my father was. They just got into who he was [at the moment]. And I think that was a very valuable lesson to me: Accept the person that's sitting in front of you. Stop trying to make them who they were. Let it go."
Interesting aside: The California first lady, who wrote the children's book "What's Wrong With Grandpa?" and helped produced the HBO documentary series "The Alzheimer's Project," says she still cries that her father no longer recognizes her. At 93, he attends Mass daily and still can recite the Hail Mary, though he doesn't know his own daughter Maria.

First Lady Nancy Reagan
Care situation: Cared for her husband, President Ronald Reagan, at home for a decade until his death with Alzheimer's in 2004. “When it comes right down to it, you’re in it alone. Each day is different, and you get up, put one foot in front of the other, and go—and love; just love.”
Interesting aside: When asked if she ever felt like giving up while caregiving, she told Vanity Fair (in an interview coming in the July 2009 issue), "No, Ronnie wouldn't like that."

John Rhys-Davies (Gimli in "The Lord of the Rings")
Care situation: Wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1995 "Before she got very ill, she asked me, ‘What will happen?’ and I said she would probably forget who we all were. Obviously, she thought that was terrible so I told her no matter what happened we would always know who she was, we would always love her and always care for her.”
Interesting aside: Rhys-Davies, 62, has a new life, and a 3-year-old, with another woman but says he will never divorce his wife, 76, because of his promise to look after her.

Leeza Gibbons
Care situation: Mother recently died of Alzheimer's, as had her grandmother; Gibbons founded Leeza's Place to support Alzheimer's caregivers and has written a new book, Take Your Oxygen First. "Family caregivers are like first responders. When there's a burning building or a car crash, everyone is running from the scene, but the first responders are running towards the emergency. "Take your oxygen first" is really a battle cry, it's a mantra, it's a reminder that if you don't nourish yourself mind, body, soul, and spirit, we will be so depleted we will have nothing to give our loved ones…it's an incredible sign of personal strength to take your oxygen first."
Interesting aside: Noting how caregivers often cope with stress through crutches (such as overeating or drinking), Gibbons says she coped by traveling the world to find a cure for Alzheimer's – though she wishes she had come to terms with the challenges at home sooner instead.

Michael Caine
Care situation: Plays a man with Alzheimer's in his new movie "Is Anybody There?"; his best friend died of the disease. "I just hope it teaches people that there's so much to be learned from older people."
Interesting aside: Caine, 76, has grown vigilant about his own health as he ages. He cut salt and sugar from his diet years ago ("that's what living in California for 8 years does") and has said he now tries to avoid dairy and wheat, too. (What's left?!) For exercise, he walks five miles a day.
There are many others who are champions for tehe Alzheimer's cause, such as David Hyde Pierce, Victor Garber, Dick Van Dyke, Kristen Bell....they have all seen the effects of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Does anyone care?

My new motto is Gift Care. Why? Because it appears that most people just don't give a hoot about anyone, but themselves!! Let me preface first. The baby boomer generation, those in their forties, fifties and sixties, were considered to be the most self-absorbed generation. Yes, they neglected saving money, the way their parents did, and instead, began to spend ferociously, to keep up with the Jones'. But, in the waning years, the baby boomers seem to have chilled out. They are realizing the error of their ways, and learning to save and give. But what about their children? This is the new me generation. In all fairness, it isn't their fault, they are just following in their parents' footsteps. Have you noticed the way the twenty and thirty year-olds have turned tech happy? Who has the latest, newfangled cellphones, flat screen TVs, computers, Ipods, Ipads, you name it? They do!!! That's seems to be all they care about. Ok, of course that isn't all they care about, but it sure is on the top of their list. Their priorities are screwed up.

What does this have to do with care? Care means to be responsible and have concern for others. I remember many years ago when parents saved money in order to leave a legacy for their children. Many people think Many people think that the government is going to help. Think again!! In the whole scheme of things, you are responsible for your parents. You owe it to them! In my experience as a caregiver, I saw and heard many things that made me sick. Be nice to your kids, they'll choose your nursing home, is not just a clever phrase, it is true. Even sadder, even moms and dads who treated their kids nicely get thrown away. Why? Of course there are extenuating circumstances, but, you know what I learned? Most children don't want to deal with it. They don't want to upset their lifestyle to care for an aging parent, especially if the parent has no money. Sad but true.

I encourage all people to gift care!! Those of you who are in your twenties and thirties, it is not too late! Watch what is happening around you. Experience life with your heart, not with your pocketbook and please, please, teach your children to gift care.

A Silver Alert was put out last week for a missing Palm Beach woman who suffers with dementia. Nancy Dodson was last seen at her home at about 7 p.m. Tuesday evening. This is the second dementia patient who has gone missing in a month. On June 28, 2010, 80 year old Patrick Scales went missing. He was last seen walking from his Century Village home in West Palm Beach. Authorities put out a bulletin requesting information from anyone who might have spotted Mr. Scales.

At the time of Scales' disappearance, The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office believed that he may have suffered from dementia. Five days later, on Friday morning of July 2, 2010 landscaping workers at the Arrigo Dodge Chrysler Jeep dealership saw a body lyng in a dry drainage ditch near the Florida turnpike, and called authorities. The dealership is located in the 6500 block of Okeechobee Blvd., just a few miles from Scales' home. Yesterday, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner confirmed that the decomposed body was that of Patrick J. Scales http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/missing-man-found-near-floridas-turnpike-identified-810548.html.

In October of 2008, Florida Governor Charles Crist signed an executive order which enacted Florida's Silver Alert Plan. This is similar to the Amber Alert for missing children. SIlver Alert is a plan to help law enforcement rescue persons with Alzheimer's or other dementias, who are driving a car and get lost. Unfortunately, Patrick Scales was on foot, therefore the SIlver Alert plan couldn't help him. What can be done to protect and save seniors with dementias, who have already had their cars taken away from them?

Wandering is unique to dementia, and it occurs when seniors become disoriented and lost. It is very common for these seniors to wander away from home, on foot. According to senior spectrum.com, six out of 10 people with Alzheimer's disease will wander, and seven out of 10 will do so repeatedly. If not found within the first 24 hours, up to half of all persons with dementia who wander will become seriously injured or die. http://senior-spectrum.com/news01_020910/

One solution being promoted by advocates is the use of personal GPS tracking devices to help locate dementia patients within minutes of the realization they have gone missing. GTX Corp has developed a GPS shoe which is slated to sell in stores this summer. GPS shoes, which will be sold at www.foot.com will contain a tiny embedded tracking device. WHever the wearer wanders off more than a pre-set distance, the caregiver will receive an alert by telephone and computer. The device will work anywhere there is cell reception. If Patrick Scales had been wearing the shoes when he wandered away from his home, he might have been found alive.

The Silver Alert did work in finding Mrs. Dodson alive. I just wonder if we need more.

I still miss her!

Oh how I miss her laughter and smile. I think about her everyday, especially since I am promoting our book. I say, our book, because it is mom speaking from the heart as much as it is me. I remember how much she loved poetry. Mom used to scribble down little rhyming sentences and then she'd laugh. Lots of times, she'd just blurt something out that rhymed, and she'd laugh. When I heard the raucous giggling, I couldn't help but follow suit. It was so contagious! When I was a little girl, I remember her laughing with family and friends, but my father kept stifling her. He'd shush her because her laugh was so loud. I couldn't understand why he kept doing that, I thought it was so mean. How can you stifle laughter? When mom came to live with me, I encouraged it. I wanted her to laugh and she did. We had a blast!! Even at her weakest moments, nearing the end, she kept on laughing. Oh, how I miss that.

My philosphy is laughter

Laughter truly is the best medicine! It seems so trite, but don't take my word for it, just do it!

If I learned anything during my years as a caregiver for my dementia-stricken mother, it was to laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. Humor is a very important component in my life and my relationships. As a matter of fact, I think it is what I cherish the most. Why? Because it feels good!! We are so quick to pop a pill when we have aches, pains, when we are depressed or stressed out. Laughter is better, quicker, and it doesn't cost a cent!

For years, scientists and physicians have researched the effects of laughter on our bodies and our brains. It has been noted that several beneficial things occur when we laugh.

Physical benefits:
1.) Laughter boosts our immune systems. The people who laugh a lot are less likely to get colds and flu.
2.) Laughter lowers stress hormones. When we dwell on bad situations our bodies release cortisol, a stress hormone. When we laugh, cortisol is reduced and endorphins are released. Endorphins are the bodies' natural painkillers and is known as the "feel good" hormones.
3.) Laughter helps decrease pain. Again, this is beacause laughter triggers the release of endorphins.
4.) Laughter relaxes your muscles. When you laugh, the muscles that don't participate in the belly laugh, relax. When you are finished all the muscles relax.
5.) Laughter can prevent heart disease. This is due to the increase in blood flow to the heart.
Mental Health Benefits:

1.) Laughter adds joy and zest to life!!!
2.) Laughter eases anxiety and fear!
3.) Laughter relieves stress!
4.) Laughter improves mood!
5.) Laughter enhances resilience!

Social Benefits:
1.) Laughter strengthens relationships!!
2.) Laughter attracts others to us!! Laughter is contagious!
3.) Laughter enhances teamwork.
4.) Laughterpromotes group bonding.

Now, can you see why laughter is so important to everyone, especially to those in stressful situations? If you are a caregiver, a family member confronting Alzheimers, or the caree, please do one thing whenever you feel yourself getting down. Laugh!!!

Seniors are being scammed at an alarming rate!

Murders and violent crimes are down around the country, but one kind of crime is rising steadily: scams against the elderly. Senior citizens have always been especially vulnerable to scams, but it appears that the situation is getting worse. Scam artists are privy to the psyche of the elderly. Seniors tend to remain quiet victims. More often than not, they do not tell family members that they were duped for fear of going into nursing homes or arousing concern that they are not capable of living independently. Due to age, it is harder for a senior to recall the events that took place, and most seniors shy away from having to testify in court. These reasons, plus the fact that there is a high chance of getting a lot of money, make the elderly easy targets for scam artists. Other contributing factors for the increase of scams against the elderly is the prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias, and the rise in companions and caregivers. According to a a study last year by Metlife Mature Market Institute, Senior citizens lose more than $2.6 billion a year, many of the thieves come from their own families. This is a low estimate because many times cases are not reported. Ironically, last month, a caregiver and a social worker at the Grayson County Virginia Department of Social Services were charged with taking more than $24,000.00 from the bank account of an 89 year old client who had gone to the agency looking for care and companionship. This is what makes the situation so atrocious, the people that the elderly go to for help are some of the people who scam them. Seniors are characteristically trusting, and even some members of their own family take advantage of that fact. So, unless it is not completely feasible, the elderly needs to take matters into their own hands. Here are some of the most prevalent scams and what Seniors and trusted family members should watch for.

Credit Card Scams: Watch for offers of credit cards, credit card protection or credit repair services when a fee is charged. The fee is charged to your card but the card or services are never delivered. Watch out for offers of a credit card regardless of your credit history. It is best to throw away any offer that you receive in the mail for credit cards and services.

Magazine Sale Scams: A person who claims to work for the magazine company misrepresents the price and it is actually much higher. Often the magazines is never delivered. Do not purchase anything from a door salesman, or by phone.

Investment Frauds: They usually tout spectacular profits with no risk. Instead of making money, you lose it. Never accept an invitation to participate in an investment opportunity. Investments should be made at a local, reputable investment company or bank and always bring your son, daughter or both.

Overpayment Scam: You advertise something that you want to sell and a potential buyer offers to purchase it. The buyer sends you a check for more than the asking price and asks you to wire the difference back. You do but later the buyer's check bounces and you are out all the money plus the money you wired to the buyer. If you need to sell something make sure that a trusted family member or friend is with you and take only cash.

Work-at-home Scams: You see an ad promising big earnings for people who want to work from home. You send a check for training and materials and receive a kit with cheap craft materials. Soon you discover that their are no clients to pay for your work. Watch out for any promises of big earnings. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Vacation/Travel Fraud: You accept an offer for very cheap or free travel package but later you end up paying hidden costs, such as reservation fees or taxes, or listening to a high-pressure sales pitch for a timeshare or club membership. Again, watch for anything that sounds too good to be true!

Telephone Slamming: Your telephone service is switched from one company to another one without your knowledge or permission, resulting in higher charges for long distance and other services. Watch out for a telephone company representative who is trying to talk you into changing your phone service and offers you a rebate or check if you switch.

Telephone Cramming: These are unauthorized charges for goods or services that appear on your telephone bill, but you miss seeing them because your phone bill is complicated with authorized charges such as voice mail and Internet service. Read over your phone bill very carefully every month. Don't assume that whatever is on your bill was authorized by you.

Phishing: You receive an email message that says your bank or financial account must be updated or it will be closed. You click on a link to a website that looks like it belongs to your bank or other institution and "update" your account by entering personal identifying information. Soon you discover you are a victim of identity theft. Never, ever, give anyone your personal information on the computer or by phone. Any reputable bank or financial institution will not ask for your personal information in this way. Never, ever click on any link that you do not know. The only emails that you should click on are from people who you personally know.

Pharming Scam: This is a technique used by criminals to redirect Web traffic from a legitimate server to their own server, where they can steal any personal information that the user types in. Again, watch for any unusual links or websites that pop up in your email.

Nigerian Money Scam: You are contacted by someone from Nigeria offering huge amounts of money if you will transfer money from a foreign bank to your bank account for safekeeping. When you agree, you are asked to pay huge transfer fees or legal expenses but receive no money. Watch out for any request to send money before receiving anything. These are email scams, so never open an unusual email.

Sweepstakes Scam: You are told that you won a fabulous prize but in order to claim it you must buy something or pay taxes up front. The prize is a useless, cheap trunket worth much less than the amount of money you paid to claim it. Watch out for any prize or sweepstakes winner announcement. If it is a legitimate sweepstakes, you will not be asked to pay anything up front.

Lottery Scams: You are offered tickets to enter a foreign lottery and are asked to send money by phone or mail in the United States. The lottery, either does not exist, or the tickets never arrive. Remember that it is illegal to promote a foreign lottery.

Pyramid Schemes: You are promised big profits in exchange for a fee or for recruiting new members. Plans that promise profits for recruitment of members rather than for selling goods and services are illegal and usually collapse.

Scholarship Scams: For an upfront fee, a company guarantees scholarship money but instead of awarding scholarships, the company locates scholarships. Watch out for anyone or business that requires an upfront payment.

Charity Scams: A natural disaster has just occurred and it is all over the news. You get a letter, an email, or a phone call asking you to donate funds to help its victims. You send money, but the victims never receive your donation or receive only a tiny portion, the rest goes to cover administrative costs like salaries. Before making a donation to any Charitable Organization, ask for their company information and read the allocation of dollars donated to that charity.

Merchandise Sales Scams: You buy something advertised for sale on the internet or through a telemarketing call. You pay for the merchandise but never receive it, or you receive an inferior or counterfeit product in its place.
It is advisable to use extreme caution when buying merchandise from the internet or by phone. It is in your best interest not to buy anything from the internet or by phone.

Deposit Check Scam: You receive a check for $10.00- $25.00 from your credit card company or phone company. You deposit the check into your bank account and soon you find out that you switched your phone service or just joined a travel club from your credit card company. Watch out for any checks that you receive from an existing company. Look at the back of the check where you sign and read the statement. It always tells you that by signing the check you agree to join a such and such a club, or you agree to switch your phone service. No company sends money for free. It always costs you.

Look at all of these scams and there is a common link between all of them. Watch out for anyone or any company that requires you to send money upfront, that asks you to give personal information, that tells you to click a link, or that offers you huge profits. Anytime it sounds too good to be true, it is! So, Seniors stay alert, and don't get scammed!

Why did the robber have a change of heart?

A 20 year old store manager, a devout Christian, preached to the gun-toting man, who was there to steal cash from the store. Miss Goncalves remained calm and very collected as she spoke to the man. When he demanded money from the cash register, the young woman spoke of Jesus and told the robber that God wanted something better for him. She urged him to turn to God for help and to follow the right path, the path to Jesus. The man told her about his money problems, that he was going to be evicted if he didn't come up with $300.00. Again, the store manager suggested that he turn to God for help. At some point in the exchange, the 30-40 year old man told Goncalves that he was a Christian too and that he attended Calvary Chapel. That's when Goncalves recommended that he ask the church for help, or some of his friends. He didn't have to rob the store. He told her that he already asked some friends but nobody could help him. The robber kept apologizing to her, telling her that he was sorry. When Goncalves asked for sympathy, telling him that if he did steal the money, it would come out of her paycheck, he finally relented. He apologized again, turned and peacefully walked out the store, empty handed. As he headed for the door, the robber told her that the gun wasnt a real firearm, but an unloaded BB gun.

In the police interrogation, Goncalves told them that she had no ill feelings toward the man. She said that he was a desperate, lost person, not a bad person. Goncalves, a member of Assembly of God, in Pompano Beach, credits Jesus for foiling the robbery. She hopes that her preaching helped this man and that others will find strength and inspiration in the story.

Fortunately for Goncalves, her preaching touched the man's heart while he was in her presence. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. About two hours later, the same man entered a Payless shoe store in Fort Lauderdale and robbed them of the cash in the cash register. Broward Sheriff's Officers captured and arrested him soon after. As a matter of fact, while police were interrogating Goncalves, the robber was already in jail. WHy the change of heart?

Source: July 29, 2010|By Sofia Santana, Sun Sentinel

money from the cash register, the young woman spoke of Jesus and told the robber that God wanted something better for him. She urged him to turn to God for help and to follow the right path, the path to Jesus. The man told her about his money problems, that he was going to be evicted if he didn't come up with $300.00. Again, the store manager suggested that he turn to God for help. At some point in the exchange, the 30-40 year old man told Goncalves that he was a Christian too and that he attended Calvary Chapel. That's when Goncalves recommended that he ask the church for help, or some of his friends. He didn't have to rob the store. He told her that he already asked some friends but nobody could help him. The robber kept apologizing to her, telling her that he was sorry. When Goncalves asked for sympathy, telling him that if he did steal the money, it would come out of her paycheck, he finally relented. He apologized again, turned and peacefully walked out the store, empty handed. As he headed for the door, the robber told her that the gun wasnt a real firearm, but an unloaded BB gun.

In the police interrogation, Goncalves told them that she had no ill feelings toward the man. She said that he was a desperate, lost person, not a bad person. Goncalves, a member of Assembly of God, in Pompano Beach, credits Jesus for foiling the robbery. She hopes that her preaching helped this man and that others will find strength and inspiration in the story.

Fortunately for Goncalves, her preaching touched the man's heart while he was in her presence. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. About two hours later, the same man entered a Payless shoe store in Fort Lauderdale and robbed them of the cash in the cash register. Broward Sheriff's Officers captured and arrested him soon after. As a matter of fact, while police were interrogating Goncalves, the robber was already in jail.