Could falling prey to financial scams be a sign of dementia in older people?

( Natural News ) To err is human. But if an older person falls for a financial scam, it may be an early warning sign of declining mental powers . And such cognitive decline eventually leads to dementia and even Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s afflicts a third of the population aged 85 or older. The disease is incurable. Existing “treatments” only serve to delay the loss of memory and must be taken as early as possible. However, most patients retain their ability to remember names and other memories until Alzheimer’s disease reaches the late stage. As such, effective treatment relies on spotting the incipient signs of the disease at the soonest. On a related note, $35 billion annually get stolen from older people in elder fraud cases. Figuring out how many people are vulnerable to falling for financial scams will also help protect senior citizens from criminals. Con artists consider it easy to target older folk. The typical case is the “grandparents scam,” where the criminal gets in touch with their victim, pretends to be a grandchild or other family member, and begs for financial assistance to help cover the expenses of a sudden emergency. Older people often keep large amounts of cash around the house. They are also often on their own at home and more inclined to answer a phone call, even if they do not recognize the number. (Related: Can essential oils be used to treat certain symptoms of dementia? ) Falling for cons, frauds, and financial scams may be an early sign of cognitive decline Researchers believe that the trend of con artists targeting older people involves something deeper than gullibility. Eventually, a team from Rush University found that falling for a financial scam might be the first sign of cognitive decline in senior citizens. If […]

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