Pacific Grove, CA Online Scams Abound : Elder Abuse Fundraising Scams Abound

An old woman with a bruised eye and hand on her face.


There was a sad story in The New York Times recently about how some fundraisers—including many politicians—trick people (particularly senior citizens) into donating more than they want to.  The story profiled Steve Vaughn, who started to go through his fathers bank statement after he died and was shocked to see 400 donations totaling more than $11K over just a four month period.  There were donations to Donald J. Trump, Mitch McConnell, Tim Scott, Steve Scalise and many others.  There were notes with the bank statements showing the 90-year old had repeatedly try to dispute the charges with his credit card company—all to no avail.  Here is how the scam works.  Fundraisers will call you and ask you for a donation and once you agree, they will enter them into the system as a recurring payment.  Instead of taking a fixed amount, say $100, out of your account, they will take out $100 every month or sometimes every week.  They are hoping people aren’t diligent about going over their bank statements, so pay attention!  Many of them are targeting high-income areas of Monterey County like Carmel, Pacific Grove & Pebble Beach.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/us/politics/recurring-donations-seniors.html

Salinas, CA Family Caregivers Face Heartbreaking Journey With Alzheimer’s Disease, Often Ending Up In Hospice

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


There was a heart breaking article in the Wall Street Journal recently.  It featured Nick Clement, age 78, who has cared for his wife Lucy for the past decade.  Lucy has Lewy body dementia as well as Alzheimer’s disease.  Nick wanted to take care of his wife, however, he quickly found out how difficult it is taking care of someone who is slipping rapidly into dementia.  As her disease progressed, she was unable to brush her teeth or comb her hair, so Nick did that too.  He said that some friends stopped calling, which can be heartbreaking.  Eventually, after Lucy had dropped from https://www.homecaremag.com/june-2021/buzz-vibration-therapy125 pounds down to 90, it took its toll on Nick who was gaunt and depressed.  He had to call in hospice which took over Lucy’s care.  Hospice asked Nick if he had told Lucy it was OK for her to go.  He had not, but went to her room and looked into her eyes and told her he would be alright, it was OK to go.  Sadly, she died the next morning.  Unfortunately, most of us will have to go through this with a family member.  If you need help, CHOMP has a service called Hospice of the Central Coast, as does the Visiting Nurses Association (see links below).  Please reach out for help if you need it, they both have compassionated caregivers.

https://www.montagehealth.org/care-treatment/hospice/

https://ccvna.com/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-familys-lessons-learned-from-a-decade-of-caregiving-11623691961

Aromas, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

A nurse is smiling next to an older woman.


Aromas, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Highlands, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County over the past decade and have recently expanded into Santa Cruz County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Monterey, CA Medicare Elder Abuse Alert

An old woman talking on a phone.


There is never a shortage of elder abuse scams making the rounds, but the latest to hit our area is Medicare related.  You will receive a message that says “Hi, this is Becky, your patient advocate working closely with Medicare.  Currently, Medicare is offering precautionary genetic cancer screening nationwide and has recommended that anyone over the age of 50 be tested.  These tests help to detect early signs of cancer and are covered by your insurance.  If you do not act soon, Medicare may label you as ineligible for coverage.  Please press 1 to speak to a specialist.â€Â  The situation is so dire that AARP The Magazine (August/September Issue, Page 32) ran a two-page story on it.  Do not fall for this scam!  If you have any questions, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network’s helpline at 877-908-3360.

Using Artificial Intelligence Or AI To Discover Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma And Diabetic Retinopathy

A doctor and patient in a room with a laptop.


Opthalmologist Michael D. Abramoff had seen the consequences of diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and other age-related causes of blindness which gave him an idea; could autonomous artificial intelligence make a difference with those who have diabetes or family history.  Abramoff, a University of Iowa professor, developed a state-of-the-art AI system for people with diabetes.  Dubbed IDx-DR, the system can determine whether a test taker may have diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema.  “We know how to treat it, but only 15% of people with diabetes get yearly tests,†he said.  Approved by the FDA in 2018, the testing device is now used in the offices of primary care doctors across the U.S.  For more information, see October/November 21 Issue of AARP The Magazine, page 61

Carmel-by-the-sea, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available


Carmel-by-the-sea, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel Highlands, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County over the past decade and have recently expanded into Santa Cruz County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

New Congressional Bill On Social Security Doesn’t Address The Funding Shortfall

A group of people giving thumbs up to the camera.


A House bill sponsored by Democrats called Social Security 2100 : A Sacred Trust does much to help seniors, boosting benefits in a number of areas.   Introduced by Rep. John Carson, D-Conn. who serves on the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee is a bit perplexing as it is adding to a looming deficit and does nothing to address how our nation will pay for it.  Some key issues in the bill:

Benefits would be set at 125% above the poverty line and tied to current wage levels;

Both new and existing beneficiaries would get a 2% increase in their benefit, on average;

The bill would repeal rules that reduce Social Security benefits for workers and their spouses, widows or widowers who also have pension income (called the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset); and

Annual cost-of-living adjustments would be tied to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, or CPI-E.

The latest estimates from the government are that by 2034, Social Security benefits will drop to 78% of what has been promised, and this new bill extends that date to 2038 to give Congress more time to come up with a long-term solution to the program’s solvency issues.  There is a provision for an increase in the wages cap where workers have to pay Social Security Tax (up from $147,000 to $400,000).  However, this will likely be offset from a provision in the bill which would only require Social Security recipients to pay taxes on earnings above $35,000 ($50,000 for couples), up significantly from $25K and $32K respectively.  This seems to me like Congress just kicking the can down the road—why not try and solve this issue now?

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/26/social-security-what-a-new-plan-in-congress-would-mean-for-benefits.html

A-Fib Help Without Using Blood Thinners

A person holding a stethoscope in their hand.


Blood thinners are used by seniors for a variety of ailments.  However, they can be an issue if you have a fall or need to have emergency surgery as they can cause excessive bleeding.  Some people are turning to a new treatment for A-Fib which is an implant that seals off a fingertip-size pouch on the heart.  During A-Fib, blood can pool in the pouch, clot and travel to the brain, Robert Hauser M.D., who sketched the Watchman’s initial design, told AARP The Magazine (October/November 2021 Issue, page 54).  Surgeons implant the device by threading it through blood vessels.  An analysis of more than 36K people who have had the device implanted since it debuted in 2015 found that it reduced the risk of stroke by 70% and made the use of the blood thinner warfarin necessary.

Medicare Insurers Took $9.2 Billion In Federal Payments In One Year Via Controversial Billing Practices : By Derek Baine

A building with the capitol in the background.


There seems to be no end to the tricks insurers will come up with in order to suck more money out of Medicare.  According to the findings of the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, it analyzed 20 companies and investigators found that one received about 40% of the questionable payments, or $3.7 billion, while enrolling only 22% of Medicare Advantage customers.  It wouldn’t name the company, but BMO Capital Market looked at federal data and showed that the enrollment share closely matches UnitedHealth Group Inc. during the period the investors looked at.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-of-9-2-billion-in-questionable-medicare-payments-went-to-20-insurers-federal-investigators-say-11632303001

In An Attempt To Calm Down Agitated Nursing Home Residents, Patients Are Often Unnecessarily Sedated : By Derek Baine

An old woman with a bruised eye and hand on her face.


I have witnessed first hand nursing home and assisted living facilities giving seniors heavy medication in order to just keep them quiet, sometimes even restraining them.  The New York Times recently wrote a story about this practice saying that 1 in 5 nursing homes prescribe Antipsychotics, which are extremely dangerous to give to the elderly, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.  The story highlighted David Blakeney, who entered a nursing home with severe dementia.  He was restless and agitated and the facility’s physician wanted to prescribe Haldol, a powerful sedative.   “Add Dx schizophrenia for use of Haldol,†read the doctor’s order, which essentially added another diagnosis of schizophrenia despite the fact that there were no signs the patient had that condition.  These types of drugs are commonly referred to as chemical straightjackets and, unfortunately, they can nearly double the chance of death from heart problems, infections, falls and other ailments for seniors with dementia. But with nursing homes understaffed, it’s an easy solution to just sedate more patients so they can be handled with less staff.  The patient in the Times article died at the early age of 64 just eight months after being put on Haldol, but not before suffering devastating weight loss, pneumonia and the amputation of one of his feet due to severe bedsores.  This should not happen in this country.  If you have a loved one in a facility, regularly ask for a list of prescriptions that they are on.  This is all too common.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/11/health/nursing-homes-schizophrenia-antipsychotics.html