‘It can’t be taken lightly’

(Pictured: Radio and TV personality Danny Bonaduce needed brain surgery to cope with an often wrongly diagnosed brain disorder.)

Danny Bonaduce is known for being a cut-up on television and radio. He has something way more serious on his mind these days.

Bonaduce, whose most recent entertainment gig was as a radio personality in Seattle and still with a fan-following from his days as a child actor in the 1970s TV sitcom “The Partridge Family,” has become a poster child for efforts to understand and treat hydrocephalus.

The chronic brain disorder is caused by an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid. The incurable condition can affect anyone at any age, and the only treatment available is brain surgery. 

More than 1 million Americans are living with hydrocephalus. Bonaduce, 65, is one of them.

In 2023, Bonaduce was hosting a morning show on KZOK-FM, as he had been since 2011, when he started noticing that his memory was failing. He thought he had suffered a stroke. Doctors told him he hadn’t. “But they didn’t necessarily get it right,” he said.

After specialists eventually diagnosed his case of hydrocephalus, surgeons placed a shunt in his head. The result: “I feel in better shape now than in the past 10 years. My memory is back. I did have to retire. I don’t memorize as much as when I was doing a radio show. But everything seems to be back to normal,” Bonaduce said in an interview with the Hydrocephalus Association.

Dana Gray, the association’s president, noted shunts are the standard treatment. “They save lives,” she said, adding there are other treatments, including shots. The shunts have one of the highest failure rates of any medical device, however, often requiring multiple brain surgeries throughout a patient’s life. Many patients undergo dozens or even more than a hundred surgeries in their lifetime, underscoring the urgent need for better treatment options.

Often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, hydrocephalus can be successfully managed with proper diagnosis, helping patients regain a higher quality of life. Gray said Bonaduce “brings a much-needed personal and public face to this under-recognized condition, with a message that calls for greater awareness and research.”

Bonaduce, now living in California, said his advice to anyone experiencing potential symptoms of the condition is “to find the right doctor—an expert on what is happening to you. Find out through the process of elimination what it can be. It can’t be taken lightly.”

World Hydrocephalus Day, which is observed in September by the Bethesda, Md.-based Hydrocephalus Association (HA) to create global focus the need for increased awareness, research, and support for people living with the condition. The goal is to “make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by hydrocephalus,” Gray said. 

Since 2009, HA has invested over $15 million in research, making it the largest non-profit and non-government funder of hydrocephalus research in the United States.

The association was founded in 1983 by parents of children with hydrocephalus.

Crack the QR code scams before they crack you

(Pictured: Phony QR codes are one way scammers try to trick you on various devices.)

TECHNOLOGY

Ancient civilizations had hieroglyphics. We have QR codes: The patterned graphic boxes prompting you to access restaurant menus, pay for parking, find out information about a package, and so on.

Generally, quick response (QR) codes are safe, but they can be used to redirect you to malicious websites, so caution is important. Here’s how scammers want it to work:

• You get prompted to use your device’s camera.

• You scan the code and a link pops up.

• You click the link, exposing you to threat actors.

• You’re directed to apps, websites, locations using your maps and much more.

Bad actors understand people are in a rush, so this is an appealing form of attack. It’s a cost-efficient scam because the QR codes are easy to generate and distribute. And the fraudsters are creative in finding new ways to make them appear legitimate. In public places, criminals can cover an official code with a sticker or printout showing a fraudulent code. Some of the more prevalent and convincing scams include:

Parking ticket scams.

Criminals place fake parking tickets with QR codes on windshields, causing unsuspecting victims to scan the code and click the link to learn of their offense and digitally pay the alleged fine.

Brushing scams.

A criminal will ship goods you never ordered, then require you to scan the QR code and click the link to see who sent you the gift.

Payment scams.

Criminals cover a legitimate QR code with a sticker that has a fraudulent code that directs to a malicious site. This can happen at gas pumps, bank windows, parking lots, etc.

• Crypto scams.

Crypto transactions are often made through QR codes associated with crypto accounts, making this an appealing target for fraudsters–specially since once crypto payments are made, it’s unlikely those funds will be recovered.

To stay safe when using QR codes:

• Check the URL. Once you scan and the link pops up, stop! Examine it for unusual domain names or shortened URLs before clicking.

• Verify the source. Only scan QR codes from trusted sources, like official websites or apps. Codes from unfamiliar sources are more likely to be malicious.

• Check for tampering. Look for signs such as altered graphics, design flaws, or stickers placed atop original codes.

• Be suspicious. Treat sites asking for a password or login information as a red flag.

• Beware “promotions.” Be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true.

• Use a secure connection. Look for a HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) at the start of a web address, which protects passwords, credit card details, and other personal data from being intercepted; or a padlock.

• Confirm validity of a request. Before taking action, like making a payment or entering personal information, confirm a request to scan with the company. If you receive a QR code from someone you know, reach out to them through a known number or e-mail to verify they sent it.

• Protect your device. Use antivirus and anti-malware software.

• Report. If you identify a suspicious QR code or fall victim to a QR code scam, notify your bank and report it to law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission.

If you scan a fake QR code, your bank account, e-mail and identity could all be at risk.

Cyber criminals are always finding new ways to defraud their victims, and QR codes are no exception. With a little caution however, you can better protect yourself.

Source: StatePoint Media

By Paula Span

KFF

The assisted-living facility in Edina, Minn., where Jean Peters and her siblings moved their mother in 2011, looked lovely. “But then you start uncovering things,” Peters said.

Her mother, Jackie Hourigan, widowed and developing memory problems at 82, too often was still in bed when her children came to see her mid-morning.

“She wasn’t being toileted, so her pants would be soaked,” said Peters, 69, a retired nurse-practitioner. “They didn’t give her water. They didn’t get her up for meals.” Her mother dwindled to 94 pounds.

Most ominously, Peters said, “we noticed bruises on her arm that we couldn’t account for.” Complaints to administrators — in person, by phone, and by e-mail — brought “tons of excuses.” So Peters bought an inexpensive surveillance camera. She and her sisters installed it atop the refrigerator in her mother’s apartment, worrying that the facility might evict her if the staff noticed it.

Monitoring from an app on their phones, the family saw Hourigan going hours without being changed. They saw and heard an aide loudly berating her and handling her roughly as she helped her dress.

They watched as another aide awakened her for breakfast and left the room even though Hourigan was unable to open the heavy apartment door and go to the dining room. “It was traumatic to learn that we were right,” Peters said.

After filing a police report and a lawsuit, and after her mother’s 2014 death, Peters in 2016 helped found Elder Voice Advocates, which lobbied for a state law permitting cameras in residents’ rooms in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Minnesota passed it in 2019.

Though they remain a contentious subject, cameras in care facilities are gaining ground. By 2020, eight states, including Washington, had joined Minnesota in enacting laws allowing them. According to the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, the other states are Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The legislative pace has picked up since, with nine more states enacting laws– Connecticut, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. Legislation is pending in several others.

California and Maryland have adopted guidelines, not laws. The state governments in New Jersey and Wisconsin will lend cameras to families concerned about loved ones’ safety.

The American Health Care Association, whose members are mostly for-profit long-term care providers, doesn’t take a national position on cameras.

A few camera laws cover only nursing homes, but the majority include assisted-living facilities. Most mandate that the resident (and roommates, if any) provide written consent. Some call for signs alerting staffers and visitors that their interactions may be recorded.

On its website, the Washington State Long-term Care Ombudsman Program, which advocates for residents, states, “While surveillance cameras and other devices can offer information about the type of care” a resident is receiving and how they are being treated “by nursing home staff, other residents, and visitors, they can be invasive and may violate” privacy rights. They are also no substitute for personal involvement and monitoring.”

The laws often prohibit tampering with cameras or retaliating against residents who use them, and include “some talk about who has access to the footage and whether it can be used in litigation,” said Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice.

It’s unclear how seriously facilities take these laws. Several relatives interviewed for this article reported that administrators told them cameras weren’t permitted, then never mentioned the issue again. Cameras placed in the room remained.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, families were locked out of facilities for months, Smetanka pointed out. “People want eyes on their loved ones,” she said.

Changes in technology probably also contributed, as Americans became more familiar and comfortable with video chatting and virtual assistants. Cameras have become nearly ubiquitous — in public spaces, in workplaces, in police cars and on officers’ uniforms, in people’s pockets.

Initially, the push for cameras reflected fear about loved ones’ safety. Kari Shaw’s family, for instance, had already been victimized by a trusted home care nurse who stole her mother’s prescribed pain medications. So when Shaw, who lives in San Diego, and her sisters moved their mother into assisted living in Maple Grove, Minn., they immediately installed a motion-activated camera in her apartment.

Their mother, 91, has severe physical disabilities and uses a wheelchair. “Why wait for something to happen?” Shaw said.

In particular, “people with dementia are at high risk,” added Eilon Caspi, a gerontologist and researcher of elder mistreatment. “And they may not be capable of reporting incidents or recalling details.”

As the debate over cameras continues, a central question remains unanswered: Do they bolster the quality of care?

“There’s zero research cited to back up these bills,” said Clara Berridge, a gerontologist at the University of Washington who studies technology in elder care. “Do cameras actually deter abuse and neglect? Does it cause a facility to change its policies or improve?”

Both camera opponents and supporters cite concerns about residents’ privacy and dignity in a setting where they are being helped to wash, dress, and use the bathroom.

“Consider, too, the importance of ensuring privacy during visits related to spiritual, legal, financial, or other personal issues,” Lisa Sanders, a spokesperson for LeadingAge, said in a statement.

Though cameras can be turned off, it’s probably impractical to expect residents or stretched-thin staffs to do so.

Surveillance can treat staff members as “suspects who have to be deterred from bad behavior,” Berridge said. She has seen facilities installing cameras in all residents’ rooms, meaning “Everyone is living under surveillance. Is that what we want for our elders and our future selves?”

Ultimately, experts said, even when cameras detect problems, they can’t substitute for improved care that would prevent them — an effort that will require engagement from families, better staffing, training and monitoring by facilities, and more active federal and state oversight.

“I think of cameras as a symptom, not a solution,” Berridge said. “It’s a band-aid that can distract from the harder problem of how we provide quality long-term care.”

Source: KFF Health News, produced for The New Old Age, a partnership with the New York Times.

Buzzwords for bees: ‘The right back yard’

Let’s all celebrate not only the beloved honey bee, but North America’s 4,000 species of native bees, many of which are busy right now.

“Throughout spring and summer, these insects dutifully pollinate crops and wildflowers, playing a vital role in fostering healthy ecosystems,” said Clay Bolt, manager of Pollinator Conservation and Great Plains communications for World Wildlife Fund.

According to Bolt, native bee species are beautifully varied in their appearance, behaviors, feeding habits, and habitats. They can be striped, metallic, fuzzy, thin and rotund, in a spectrum of colors. The world’s smallest species—the Euphorb mini-fairy bee—is only found in southern deserts. At 2 millimeters, it is about as long as a U.S. nickel is thick.

Different bee species fly at different times—early morning, daytime, or night. Many emerge seasonally in spring or summer, while others remain hidden underground for years, awaiting summer monsoons.

Bees inhabit diverse environments, from cold mountain peaks to beaches. Generalist species visit many flower types, while specialists pollinate only specific flowers. And unlike bumble bees and other hive-dwelling species, such as honey bees and stingless bees, over 70 percent of the world’s bee species are in fact solitary, hardworking moms that quietly nest in overlooked places like decomposing logs and alongside garden paths.

Ever asked yourself, What is a bee? You might be surprised to learn that they are vegetarian wasps. However, unlike their wasp relatives, which often feed their young protein in the form of paralyzed insects and the hamburger they might steal from your picnic table, most bees provide their offspring with protein made from pollen mixed with nectar. The mother bee compacts these materials into a pellet and places it within her nest cavity, lays a single egg atop the mixture, then seals the chamber, where the young bee will develop entirely without maternal assistance.

How can you help bees? Sadly, they face threats to their survival, but there are steps you can take to help protect them.

Bees need healthy, pesticide-free food throughout their lives. This is one of the greatest gifts you can offer these pollinators, especially because parks and gardens often grow flowers that only bloom during peak summer. By planting a variety of plants that flower from early spring through autumn, the number of native bees and other pollinators visiting your garden will increase exponentially.

“Through small acts of kindness, you can transform the lives of these remarkable creatures, while filling your heart with profound hope and wonder as you witness their delicate yet ongoing care of our shared world,” said Bolt.

World Wildlife Fund’s new “Stories of Hope and Wonder” is an ongoing series that connects people to the wonder of nature and offers hope for a future benefitting people and wildlife. Each month, “Stories of Hope and Wonder” will feature a different species overcoming some of nature’s toughest obstacles to ensure their survival. To access these stories, visit www.worldwildlife.org/hopeandwonder.

Bees are industrious creatures that are essential to vital food systems and healthy ecosystems. While bees are at risk, individuals can make all the difference in their own backyards.

Source: StatePoint Media