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Con artists are ‘targeting dementia sufferers’

admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:26:58 +0000

Con artists are dealing “another body blow” to the most vulnerable in society who need more protection, according to a charity.

The Alzheimer’s Society calculated that 15% of people with dementia have been victims of financial abuse such as cold calling, scam mail or mis-selling.

That equates to 112,500 people, who lose an average of £850 each.

A separate police report has claimed that financial abuse could lead to premature death.

“Some are so socially isolated that they continue to give money to criminals, even when they realise what is happening, just to maintain some form of human contact,” the City of London Police report said.

The Alzheimer’s Society has attempted to make some estimate of the extent of financial abuse of the elderly – a subject in which data has been difficult to gather in the past.

It spoke to 104 carers and 47 people with dementia, as well as focus groups with nursing staff, social workers, and other professionals.

This research suggested that 62% of carers said the person they cared for had been approached by cold callers or salespeople on the doorstep, and 70% had been targeted by telephone cold callers.

“We are merely scratching the surface of the frightening hidden depths of financial abuse,” said Jeremy Hughes, chief executive at the Alzheimer’s Society.

“Too often, con artists are dealing another body blow to people who already face high care costs and a society that fails to understand their needs.”

Steve Pye, whose 84-year-old father Stan has dementia and was scammed out of over £1,000, said: “It is not just about being out of pocket. Because of these con artists, my dad now finds it very difficult to trust people.”

Plans

The charity is putting together a training programme for financial service providers such as banks.

Before that, it is urging families to discuss money management, consider the power of attorney, speak to their local bank manager about difficulties, and stop junk mail.

The police are also looking at updating the way they treat victims of financial crime.

Mehboob Khan, of the Local Government Association, said that a lot had been done by trading standards officers to raise awareness of the issues.

“Because we know many of the victims are particularly vulnerable, we are also calling on the wider community to be aware and look out for their neighbours, friends and family,” he said.

“If a resident thinks they or someone they know may have fallen victim to crimes that involve scams or rogue trading, they should contact their council trading standards service, the police, or Crimestoppers immediately.”

(Article Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business)

Alzheimer’s signs can be spotted ten years before symptoms appear, says study

admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:26:45 +0000

People with Mild Cognitive Impairment who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s could be spotted ten years before the disease develops according to a study.The study was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, and the research, which took place at Lund University, Sweden involved 140 people with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Spinal fluid was tested for levels of Alzheimer’s proteins amyloid-beta and tau. It found that over 90 per cent of participants who had low levels of amyloid-beta and high levels of tau went on to develop Alzheimer’s within a ten-year period. In contrast, those who had memory impairment but normal values for amyloid-beta and tau did not run a higher risk of getting the disease than healthy individuals. In addition, the study showed that changes in levels of amyloid-beta occur much earlier than changes in levels of tau.

Alzheimer’s Society comment:

‘This study adds weight to existing evidence that changes in amyloid-beta and tau could be used to identify people who are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Spotting these signs early – through tests such as spinal taps – could help us improve the unacceptably low levels of early diagnosis that currently exist.

‘This research, which is the first of its kind to follow people for more than five years, provides a promising avenue for further investigation. However we need to back up these findings in much larger numbers of people. One in three people will die with dementia yet dementia research is drastically underfunded. We must invest now.’

(Article Source: www.alzheimers.org.uk/)

2M Employment Solutions is an independently

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:04:21 +0000

2M Employment Solutions is a Health & Social Care recruitment specialist providing professional, cost effective recruitment services to companies throughout the UK.

Whether you are a job seeker looking for new opportunities or a business searching for more effective ways to find new talent, 2M Employment Solutions are here to help. Our fully trained and friendly consultants will take the time to understand your requirements and offer guidance on the best solutions to help you achieve your objective.

With extensive experience within the recruitment industry we have built a reputation for providing an efficient, effective and professional recruitment service that adds real value to employers and job seekers.

Our vision is to become the recruiter of choice for health & social care employers and professionals and we continually look for new and innovative ways in which to develop our services. This why we constantly encourage feedback and appreciate all comments received.

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