Lichtenberg Rating Scale Protects Older Adult Finances (Research, Embezzlement Video 1:53)

One out of every 20 older adults in America will be a victim of financial exploitation this year. They will come from varied social positions, geographic locations, occupations, races, and nationalities. You or someone you know could be a victim. You may also know the perpetrator of the crime. Perpetrators of embezzlement, which is theft or misappropriation of funds placed in one's trust, are often relatives and friends you know and trust.

This heart wrenching topic brings to mind an important question that should be considered: What can others do to assist older adults in making good decisions for protection against financial abuse? With our quickly aging population, financial exploitation of vulnerable older adults has become a profitable and easy way for many to make money. Horror stories about stolen identities, looted bank accounts, and transferred property ownership abound. The devastation left behind is sometimes insurmountable.

Is there a way to protect older adults from this travesty while still allowing them their dignity during the process? Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, Director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, is creating the Lichtenberg Financial Decision-Making Rating Scale for just that purpose. This assessment will determine whether older adults are at risk for being victims of financial abuse and their ability to manage their money and other assets.  He hopes to be able to pilot the 61-question assessment by the end of the year. The assessment and a more general 10-question screening exam would be used by professionals who work with older adults such as attorneys, law enforcement officials, and people who work at financial institutions. They would be in positions to determine whether those surveyed are experiencing undue outside influence and whether they are competent in making good financial decisions. With this knowledge, they can better protect those most at risk for being exploited.

Last Will and Embezzlement is a groundbreaking documentary film that is on national tour. Produced by Pamela Glasner, whose brother was victimized by embezzlement, the movie raises awareness about financial exploitation of older adults. The movie stars Hollywood icon Mickey Rooney sharing his firsthand account of being victimized. The following movie trailer gives a brief summary of the documentary and the magnitude of this problem.

You can read more about financial abuse and the trust factor in what experts refer to as the crime of the 21st century here.


Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Dementia, Alzheimer’s Experience: Poem, Virtual Dementia Tour Video 2:20

Do you ever wonder what it feels like to have dementia? I do. As a hospice volunteer in Detroit nursing homes, I have spent considerable time with residents who have dementia. This poem describes how I think many of them feel.

Pieces of Our Minds

On the border, on the brink,

we shiver like quivering tears

swollen to fullness with distress,

reluctant to spill an excess. 

Strapped in delusions

wondrous and weird, we ride

roller coasters of reality

through joy and fear.

On the brim, on the rim,

like balls circling in frustration,

we scramble for thoughts

lost in nets of uncertainty.

Invaded by memories,

peeping, creeping, weeping,

we laugh and cry to the

rhythm of nostalgia.

On the fringe, on the edge,   

changing, adjusting, impacting,

we crave compassion in our

 search for society’s sanctuary. 

© Frances Shani Parker

For a more personal experience of what it’s like to have dementia, a sensitivity training simulation can be very beneficial. The Virtual Dementia Tour®  is an interactive learning experience designed to help those caring for people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. The tour includes five tasks to complete in the manner that a person with dementia would experience them.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Teaching Doctors How to Give Patients Bad News (Research, Video 4:38)

Have you ever worried about telling someone bad news in the wrong way. Is there really a good way to say something bad? Imagine how often many doctors have to deliver bad news at critical times in people’s lives and the serious ramifications that can follow if they are unsuccessful in their approach. The reluctance of doing this causes some doctors to go so far as to detach themselves from patients and avoid breaking the news at all.

The ABCDE Plan is one strategy that provides a patient-centered framework for doctors to deliver troubling news to patients and families. Doctors learn how to create a safe environment, use timely communication skills, and how to display empathy. Doctors’ personal reactions to death and dying are also considered. With the population increase in older patients who are terminally ill, doctors need a constructive plan for breaking bad news appropriately.

Another strategy is used at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Medical interns in their first term learn how to deliver bad news to patients through role-playing with actors. These scenarios are followed by faculty feedback on how well the interns did delivering bad news. They are also taught how to advise patients after the bad news is delivered. The following video demonstrates how this is done:

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog