Championing dementia

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Championing dementia

• Dr Kritika Samsi
• Research Associate
• Social Care Workforce Research Unit
• Kings College London
• kritika.1.samsi_at_kcl.ac.uk

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What is dementia?

• Short-term memory problems
• Confusion
• Changes in mood
• Communication can be affected

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Mental Capacity Act

• Aims to protect people with decision-making
  capacity problems
• Applies to those with loss of capacity
• Respects autonomy and choice

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Mental Capacity Act Dementia

• Encourages people to plan in advance
• People can appoint Lasting Power of Attorney
• Criminalises wilful neglect and ill-treatment

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Money 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

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Financial 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

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Our 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
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Our research during stages of dementia
Phase II After receiving a diagnosis of dementia
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Alzheimers 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

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What 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

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What carers said

• Difficulties dealing with banks
• Unaware of implications of unintentional fraud
• Unsolicited salesmen
• Stranger abuse

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Common obvious signs of potential financial abuse
reported by Alzheimers Society staff
Change in relationship with money
Personal situation
External or internal influence
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Direct 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

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Recommendations

• ? Need for all to remain risk and abuse aware,
  while balancing the rights of person with
  dementia

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Thank you!

• For more information, please contact
  kritika.1.samsi_at_kcl.ac.uk