Maggie Wolfe Riley's List: Nursing/Healthcare

• Unlike strangers, relatives and caregivers often have a position of trust and an ongoing relationship with the elderly. Financial exploitation occurs when the offender steals, withholds, or otherwise misuses their elderly victims' money, property, or valuables for personal advantage or profit, to the disadvantage of the elder.
• simply taking the elder's money
• misusing ATM or credit cards, or using them without permission
• they usually try to isolate the victim from friends, family, and other concerned parties. By doing so, they prevent others from asking about the elder's well-being or relationship with the offender, prevent the elder from consulting with others on important financial decisions, and, perhaps most tragically, give the elder the impression that no one else cares about him or her.
• Joint bank accounts. Under the guise of helping the elder with his or her financial affairs, the offender has his or her name added to the elder's bank account, allowing the offender to deposit, withdraw, or transfer funds. The offender may threaten or coerce the elder into giving consent, or get consent despite the elder's limited capacity to make an informed decision.
• Distinguishing between an unwise, but legitimate, financial transaction and an exploitative transaction resulting from undue influence, duress, fraud, or lack of informed consent can be difficult. 4 Suspicious transactions may be well-intentioned but guided by poor advice. Generally, financial exploitation involves a pattern of behaviors, rather than single incidents.
• check and credit card fraud
• You should be aware of the various ways fraud and financial exploitation victims may unwittingly help offenders and, when possible, assign them an active role in responding to the problem.
• Undue influence. Perpetrators may use an array of techniques to gain power over the victim's decision-making and ensure compliance. These include isolating the victim, promoting dependency, and inducing fear and distrust of others.
• Financial exploiters of the elderly rely on the nature of their relationships with them to support the abuse. The victim has often formed a close bond with the offender, and may be unaware of or deny the abuse. In addition, the victim may fear being alone or being placed in a nursing home if the offender is removed. These dynamics are important to understand in addressing the emotional impact on the victim.
• Professional caregivers. Home health aides offer invaluable assistance to seniors who need help to live independently. However, they sometimes abuse an elder's trust by intercepting and activating unsolicited credit cards in the elder's name; taking jewelry, cash, or other valuables; forging or altering checks for their own use; or tricking the elder into transferring titles and deeds to the caregiver.
• Sometimes, a "good faith" relationship evolves beyond the original intent (e.g., the housekeeper begins to help the elder with finances). These relationships become abusive when the perpetrator continues to act in a self-serving way, rather than make decisions based on the elder's best interest. 31
• passively take advantage of opportunities that arise
• checks and withdrawals for individuals, marketing companies, or other businesses, or transactions that the elder cannot explain
• A recent acquaintance expresses an interest in finances, promises to provide care, or ingratiates him- or herself with the elder
• A relative or caregiver has no visible means of support and is overly interested in the elder's financial affairs
• A relative or caregiver isolates the elder, makes excuses when friends or family call or visit, and does not give the elder messages
• A relative or caregiver gives implausible explanations about finances, and the elder is unaware of or unable to explain the arrangements made
• At the bank, the elder is accompanied by a relative or caregiver who refuses to let the elder speak for him- or herself, and/or the elder appears nervous or afraid of the person accompanying him or her.
• There are suspicious signatures on the elder's checks
• There is an unusual amount of banking activity

19 more annotations...

• There is good reason they call these ceremonies 'commencement exercises.' Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning

• “Some people dream of success… while others wake up and work hard at it.”

• To accomplish great things, you must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.
• Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
• I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results.
• First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
• We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
• The best way out is always through.
• Knowing is not enough; we must apply .Willing is not enough; we must do.
• The great thing is to know when to speak and when to keep quiet.
• The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

7 more annotations...