Title: Championing dementia
1Championing dementia
- Dr Kritika Samsi
- Research Associate
- Social Care Workforce Research Unit
- Kings College London
- kritika.1.samsi_at_kcl.ac.uk
2What is dementia?
- Short-term memory problems
- Confusion
- Changes in mood
- Communication can be affected
3Mental Capacity Act
- Aims to protect people with decision-making
capacity problems - Applies to those with loss of capacity
- Respects autonomy and choice
4Mental Capacity Act Dementia
- Encourages people to plan in advance
- People can appoint Lasting Power of Attorney
- Criminalises wilful neglect and ill-treatment
5Money management and people with dementia
- Dementia can impact severely on ability to manage
money - Technical financial management tools
- Sensitivity of topic
- Carers may face barriers when helping
6Financial abuse and people with dementia
- May be isolated
- May be trusting of strangers
- May feel pressured and unable to seek appropriate
help - Capacity to recognise danger may be impaired
7Our research during stages of dementia
Phase I Before memory loss and forgetfulness
Phase II After receiving a diagnosis of dementia
Phase III When person finds it difficult to
make decisions
8Our research during stages of dementia
Phase II After receiving a diagnosis of dementia
9Alzheimers Society project on financial abuse
- Focus group with people with dementia
- Focus group with carers
- Survey data of
- Alzheimers Society staff
- Nursing social services staff
- People with dementia
- Carers
- Interviews with Safeguarding Adult Coordinators
10What people with dementia face
- Pressure when out shopping with limited time to
count change - Financial abuse often goes undetected
- Problems when reporting abuse
- Talking about abuse
11What carers said
- Difficulties dealing with banks
- Unaware of implications of unintentional fraud
- Unsolicited salesmen
- Stranger abuse
12Common obvious signs of potential financial abuse
reported by Alzheimers Society staff
Change in relationship with money
Personal situation
External or internal influence
13Direct payments/Personal budgets
- Potentially risk
- Anxiety over stranger abuse
- Abuse within families
- BUT
- May be opportunity for safeguards to be put in
place - Risk empowerment
14Recommendations
- ? Need for all to remain risk and abuse aware,
while balancing the rights of person with
dementia
15(No Transcript)
16Thank you!
- For more information, please contact
kritika.1.samsi_at_kcl.ac.uk