PORTLAND, Ore. - The son of an Oregon woman bilked out of $90,000 has advice for other grown children concerned about their aging parents: Get involved sooner rather than later.

At his mother's house, John Fread of Portland noticed a credit card statement with a balance of $20,000. Scammers had charged almost five times that much on several accounts. The Oregon attorney general's office investigated and helped shut down the New York-based company that promised to include her in a "Who's Who" book, but Fread says the ordeal took a terrible toll - not only on his mother's finances, but on her health.

"We are having to really offer emotional support that we never expected. My mom - you know, tough old girl - is now very vulnerable, and her confidence is gone. These people really robbed what should have been the last great part of her life. They took that away from her."

Fread advises grown children to get to know their parents' neighbors, and check out any new people with whom they seem to be friendly. Look at their incoming mail and caller ID for hints of scams and solicitations. Don't worry about seeming nosy, he says; he wishes he had been.

In the past year, the Oregon Department of Human Services reported 672 cases of financial exploitation.

Lower-income seniors can get assistance from the Oregon Money Management Program, sponsored by Easter Seals and AARP. Trained volunteers visit with older people to help pay bills, get financial records in order and just lend a hand in money matters. State coordinator Carol Cookson says it's a good alternative when families don't want to jeopardize a parent's sense of independence.

"A child supervising a parent, that's a very hard role reversal for a lot of people. But when a volunteer who's a friend comes in to help, it's a very different scenario. The help is more easily accepted by the client in that situation."

Fread says collection agencies still are hounding them about the credit card debt, even though they've been informed of the scam. He hopes other families can avoid the ordeal by having conversations that may be uncomfortable - but necessary.

"You know, 'Mom, Dad, things are a little different in your generation than my generation. Here are some things that we need to talk about because I've seen it happening. It's in the news,' for example. It's so much easier to sit down and have the tough conversation proactively, than try to scramble and reactively try to fix something."

Cookson says the program always is in need of volunteers as well as nonprofit groups that can sponsor the service in more towns across the state. Other sources of information are the state's Long-Term Care Ombudsman and Department of Human Services. AARP also has fraud prevention tips online at aarp.org.



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Washington performs well in a new report scoring states' long-term care systems.

The Evergreen State ranked second in AARP's Long-Term Services and Supports State Scorecard. Cathy MacCaul, advocacy director for AARP Washington, said this is an achievement for the state.

"Number two is a really positive indicator that all the challenges that the long-term care system experienced during COVID - Washington state did well," she said. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, though, to continue to improve the long-term care system."

AARP's last scorecard on long-term care services was released in 2020. In that report, Washington also ranked second. While the state performed well this year, the analysis noted there are major gaps in maintaining an adequate workforce in every state.

MacCaul said new indicators appeared in this report related to livable communities.

"There's a lot more work Washington state can do on housing and transportation to improve affordability and access for older adults and for their caregivers," she said.

MacCaul said the report also recognized that at-home care is key as the population ages rapidly.

"Home- and community-based services and supporting the 820,000 family caregivers that we have in the state are the two areas of probably the most importance when it comes to this scorecard," she said, "and recognizing the work that we need to do to improve our long-term care system in Washington state."

A new report finds Virginia's long-term care facilities need improvement to better serve their residents.

AARP's Long-Term Care Services and Supports Scorecard ranks Virginia at 28th among states. While the state has ranked high in terms of affordability and access to long-term care, it scores lowest in safety and quality, as well as support for family caregivers.

Jared Calfee, state advocacy director for AARP Virginia, said nursing home financial transparency is one of several priorities the group will take up at the General Assembly next year.

"Our nursing facilities, they largely operate with a lot of taxpayer money coming from Medicaid," Calfee pointed out. "The public has a right to know how that money is being spent and what's being dedicated to staffing and providing quality care, versus what is going to profits and paying administrators."

Other areas on which he noted AARP Virginia would focus include providing aid to family caregivers, licensure, and enforcement of both state and federal rules on staffing. However, with many seats in both chambers of the General Assembly up for election, Calfee acknowledged it is too early to tell what kind of progress might be made.

The scorecard also reflects trends stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Calfee emphasized nursing homes have been and continue to face issues, particularly with staffing, which surfaced due to the pandemic.

"When you don't have adequate staffing, and you have staff coming and going -- who aren't able to stay in facilities and get to know people -- then that's what you end up with, is facilities that are not as high-quality as you would want," Calfee asserted. "And it's the residents who then end up suffering because of that."

He added stronger policymaking will be necessary to make progress. Bills on nursing home staffing requirements failed in previous years, but the General Assembly was able to pass a law this year. However, it does not go into effect until July 1, 2025.

The Iowa Alzheimer's Association expects about 2,000 people to gather on the Capitol steps in Des Moines on Saturday, as volunteers seek to create the world's biggest walk to raise money for research.

About 66,000 Iowans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and nearly 100,000 more are caregivers, often unpaid family members who help with routine personal needs and daily activities.

Iowa Alzheimer's Association volunteer Chantelle Cadek said the group hopes to raise a half-million dollars to bolster research, fund treatment options - and ultimately, find a cure. Contrary to popular belief, she said, Alzheimer's is not routine.

"Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging," she said. "It is a disease. Not everyone gets it. Age is the biggest risk factor for people to get Alzheimer's, but definitely it is not a normal part of aging."

According to the Alzheimer's Association, 6 million Americans nationwide live with the disease, and 11 million family members serve as caregivers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved two new drugs said to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease: Leqembi and Aduhelm. As of now, however, there is no cure. Despite being most prominent in older people, their caregivers - often spouses - are least likely to ask for help.

Cadek said education is the only way to change that.

"The reality is that, unfortunately, Alzheimer's is a fatal diagnosis," she said. "There's currently no cure for it. At some point, most people need help, so I would encourage those folks to just reach out. The Alzheimer's Association is a wonderful resource; there's a 24-7 helpline."

The Des Moines walk participants will carry purple, yellow, blue and orange flowers, which represent the different reasons they are walking. The event starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.


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