10 Tips for Keeping your Aging Parents Safer
~ A Guest Post by Irene A. Masiello
note: I wrote this in 2008 and it applied then and, of course, it applies now. There is an unfortunate caveat or two. The economy makes targeting seniors more likely and I would like to caution seniors and their adult children to keep a very close eye on corporate America. Items like Terms of Service, contracts, poor customer service, complex rules, etc make doing business in America now in 2012 a very different "animal" than it was prior. I, personally, have experienced a stunning amount of abuse from stores and business like Home Depot, Verizon, etc as they take advantage of everyone in every way to keep their profits up at the expense of their customers. Of course, this will effect seniors more as it becomes more difficult to cognitively process complex information made complex for what may be a reason. The next election has many issues and one that needs looking into now is whether there will be cuts to social services, education, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. I want to caution everyone that cuts to social services will place seniors at deeper risk. We have about 1/3rd of the baby boomers already experiencing elder abuse, neglect or exploitation. That's roughly 25 million people in what are old numbers. We need more government oversight not less as corporate America has demonstrated a lack of care and compassion towards every citizen in this country with seniors and kids being the most vulnerable. Thank you, Irene A. Masiello
1. Have Realistic Expectations: America’s health care system is extremely overburdened; we must be proactive in all aspects of healthcare. Assist your parent by keeping a close tab on prescription & over-the-counter medications.
2. Recognize & Adjust for Diminishing Vision, Hearing or Thinking: Any lessening in faculties or infirmities like diabetes or circulatory disorders may impair mood or mental cognition.
3. Hire Health Aides with Caution: Check your state’s requirements regarding criminal background checks, finger printing, random drug-testing, licensing and whether the company providing aides has litigation against it; call the Better Business Bureau. Hiring privately requires additional legwork.
4. Understand Exploitation Is A Crime: If your parent signs any document they can neither explain nor comprehend the consequences of, they may have been exploited. Report it immediately to law enforcement.
5. Keeping A Watchful Eye: Forensic testing of hair, aide cams, drop-in company, monitoring credit cards and reports, reviewing bank statements by looking for handwriting changes on checks (someone else fills in payee and/or amount) and examining check number sequences are ways some issues can be detected early.
6. Sudden Relationships May be Dangerous: Be weary of anyone who steps over healthy interpersonal boundaries or takes an intense interest in the health, wellness or finances of your parent.
7. Face Multigenerational Family Dynamic Issues: Substance abuse (alcohol or drugs) and dysfunctional families are huge risk factors for the elderly.
8. Be Realistic about Your Parent’s Personality: Seniors with complicated or difficult dispositions are unlikely to develop coping skills as they age and grow infirm.
9. “Do Not Call” List: Unscrupulous telemarketers solicit at-home seniors. Place your parents’ phone numbers on your state’s “do not call list.”
10. Avoid Caregiver Burnout: Most elder abuse takes place in families. It’s crucial that caregivers take frequent respites to avoid stress and fatigue.
Irene A. Masiello is the author of “Paradise Costs-A Victim’s Daughter Fights Back Against Elder Abuse" Afterword by the author of "suicide by cop" Bennett Blum, MD. This provocative and proactive book contains an actual forensic report to drive home a chilling reality. It offers helpful lists of common elder abuses, exploitative tactics and common characteristics of victims and abusers.
It also contains Dr. Blum's incredibly easy to understand and pioneering work in identifying high risk seniors through his acronyms IDEAL & PARADISE 2. See more at www.ParadiseCosts.com.
(c) Copyright, 2012, Irene A. Masiello-all rights reserved. Do not reprint without permission. Thank you
PARADISE COSTS-A Victim's Daughter Fights Back against Elder Abuse©
Author: Irene A. Masiello, afterword by Bennett Blum, MD, internationally known forensic & geriatric psychiatrist & co- author of "suicide-by-cop" (Please: click photo of the book above & you will be taken directly to the book's website.) This blog will be making public how corporate greed impacts the lives of 78 million baby boomers many of whom live on fixed incomes. Elder abuse, neglect and exploitation exists in every day exchanges involving utility companies, medical insurers, in big pharma, etc. as corporate greed runs amok. At this blog, baby-boomers will share how corporate greed & unequal protection under the law impacts our lives, health and ability to live out our life expectancy. Its not going to be pretty but its REAL...all too real and, make no mistake about it, it kills. Paradise Costs chronicals the death of Irene's father in a blatant way. Some elder exploitation and abuse is more subtle & we will be exploring the ways that happens from companies who lie, give boomers the run around, confuse them, scam them while hoping seniors will not be able to comprehend what's going on. What's going on? ELDER ABUSE, ELDER EXPLOITATION and scamming all of us out of billions.
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