Misdiagnosis Part 1

For the next few posts, I'm going to be researching other diseases and conditions that have the same or similar symptoms to Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's seems to be the catch all diagnosis over the past few years for almost elderly person who exhibits signs of dementia. The medical community really doesn't know that much about Alzheimer's yet. They can't even tell you for sure if someone has it. The only way to make a positive diagnosis is to perform a brain inspection.... which cannot be done while the patient is still alive. So, really doctors should be testing for the possible conditions that have been and can be misdiagnosed for Alzheimer's.

In our family's situation there was this sudden Alzheimer's diagnosis from Grandma's doctor but he had not done any tests. It seemed like he hadn't investigated it at all. The only things he did were asking her memory types of questions to test her cognitive ability. Here's one for you: count backwards from 100 by 7's. Then there was the standard "who's the president" and "what's today's date." That was it though and no other possible conditions were explored.

Now that Grandma has been back with us she's been getting better over the past year or so. When she first came "home" (her actual house is still not back in her name yet.) she was zombie like. Now she's lively, wants to walk around the yard, makes much more sense when she talks, has moments where she asks directly "How did I get here," and makes statements like "I think there's something wrong with me. I don't remember." Does that sound like Alzheimer's to you? She is getting better, and new doctors think so too. We are working with them to see what we can find and if she can possibly regain more memory. The more we find out from our personal situation, the more we will share with you. Until then, look over the next few weeks for comparisons of similar diseases. Remember you should ALWAYS get a second opinion, especially with dementia related conditions.

Risk Factors

Here's a list of risk factors that your elderly family member may be at risk of financial exploitation and abuse from those around him or her. Also, characteristics of male and female abusers, and signs that a person may be suffering abuse. Hindsight is 20/20, and looking back gives me the chills on how much of this is exactly true from our situation. Please heed these warnings and signs. (Following excerpts from article by the National Center for State Courts. Click here for PDF article.)

"Factors Predisposing to Financial Exploitation

• Advanced age (> 75)
• Female
• Unmarried/widowed/divorced
• Organic brain damage
• Cognitive impairment
• Physical, mental, or emotional dysfunction (especially depression)
• Recent loss of a spouse or divorce
• Living with abuser
• Dependence on abuser
• Living alone
• Social isolation
• Estranged from children
• Financially independent with no designated financial caretakers
• Middle- or upper-income bracket
• Taking multiple medications
• Frailty
• Fear of change of living situation (ie, transfer from home to institution)
• Implied promise by perpetrator to care for elderly person if funds or material goods are transferred
• Elderly person subject to deception (misrepresentation/concealment of information for selfish gain)
• Elderly person subject to intimidation (perpetrator induces dependency with fear of rejection if demands not met, or creates fear by threat of physical or emotional harm or abandonment)"

"Characteristics of Male Perpetrators who Exploit Elderly

• Sociopathic or antisocial character disorder
• Developing a caregiver role
• Living with victim
• Being economically dependent on victim
• History of mental illness or substance abuse
• Often related to victim
• Has health problems"

"Characteristics of Female Perpetrators who Exploit Elderly

• Has some caregiving relationship to elderly person
• Instills sense of helplessness and dependency
• Isolates the elderly person from family members and other social contacts
• Presents herself as protector of the elderly victim while isolating them from others
• Enhances inadequacy and diminished self-worth in victim, making him or her more vulnerable
  
• Often has history of multiple unstable relationships
• Often falsifies credentials or embellishes personal power, role, or position
• Opportunistic
• Psychologically dysfunctional
• Predatory
• Antisocial with little regard for rights of others
• Methodically identifies victims and establishes power and total control over them
• Gains control of assets through deceit, intimidation, and psychological abuse"

"Signs and Symptoms Suggesting Undue Influence

• Elderly person’s actions inconsistent with past longstanding values/beliefs
• Older person making sudden changes in financial management that enrich one individual
• Elderly persons changing their will or disposition of assets, belongings, property, and direct assets toward one who is not natural “object of their bounty”
  
• Caretaker dismisses previous professionals and directs older person to new ones (eg, bankers, stockbrokers, attorneys, physicians, realtors)
  
• Elderly person isolated from family, friends, community, and other stable relationships
• Nonfamily caretaker has moved into the home or taken control of daily schedule
• Older person directs income flow to caretaker (eg, Social Security, pensions, trust distributions)
• Wills, living wills, trusts altered with new caretaker or friend as beneficiary/executor
• Elderly person develops mistrust of family members, particularly about financial affairs, with this view supported by new friend, acquaintance, caretaker
  
• Older person finds new caretaker guaranteeing lifelong care if he or she gives the caretaker his or her assets
• Elderly person in relationship characterized by power imbalance between parties, with caretaker assuming restrictive control and dominance
  
• Caretaker or friend accompanies elder to most important transactions, not leaving him or her alone to speak for himself or herself
  
• Elderly person writes checks for cash, in round numbers or large amounts, or gives cash gifts to caretaker or caretaker’s family
  
• Older person increasingly helpless, frightened, despondent, feeling that only the caretaker can prevent his or her further decline
  
• Elderly person sees acquaintance or caretaker as exalted, with unusual powers or influence"

Why You Should Care

Here I have reposted a section of SaveGrandma/org's webpage. It's called why you should care. It's easy for everyone to go through their day to day lives and be unaware that elder abuse happens. Even if they are aware, it's easy to forget and to think it doesn't affect me.... until the day it does. So, even if something like this is not directly in your life you should care. Please take a moment to read the following.

"In Germany, they first came from the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

-MARTIN NIEMOELLER , PASTOR AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST"

Comments:
We all have parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, a disabled or elderly friend or neighbor, or someone in our lives who can be put into a situation falling under the broad category of elder abuse and exploitation. We also will all be part of the senior citizen community some day. This needs to stop now. This is about the security of your families and friends, and the security of your future and future generations. Trust me, this crime hurts families at their core and scars people for life. Make sure there is always people to speak up by speaking up.

You Really Can't Trust Anyone

One of the things we hope to accomplish on The Elder Advocate blog is to bring people together. One of the main problems with the crimes surrounding elder abuse and exploitation is the lack of a central group fighting it. There are tons of people and families, like us, who are fighting back and that certainly helps. It's not just that there's strength in numbers, there's also something to be said for knowing you're not alone. We all know this happens constantly but not hearing about it much, or not connecting with others who are fighting the same fight, can make you feel like you're alone.

Here's a connection to SaveGrandma.Org. Their struggle is a bit different but none is worse than any other. They are all horrifying. In this case, it is the Iowa Department of Human Services and their legally appointed guardians who are abusing the elders they have been entrusted to protect. Please go read about it. We're all in this together.