Grey Power September 2019

More documents

Recommendations

Info

24 NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMBER 2019 Watch out for quacks OPINION While most seniors are now aware of the many scammers and cheats on social media who attempt to rob us with an increasingly sophisticated range of confidence tricks, some of the oldest tricks are still around. BY TOM O'CONNOR Of the many professional groups in society, there are a small number we have, by tradition at least, learned to unreservedly trust. Among them are lawyers, police, school teachers and medical professionals. That trust is not universal but, when we look for someone to draw a raffle, witness a signature, give advice or take the lead in Safe mobile lifestyle community matters, most of us tend to look to these people first. Such is their importance to society that there are disciplinary bodies to intervene when that trust is betrayed. Two such bodies are the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and the Medical Council and we have equally high expectations of them also. “When people become frightened, by terminal illness or some other traumatic development, they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation by self- proclaimed miracle workers or those claiming to have special abilities not recognised by mainstream medical professionals.” Recently the tribunal imposed one if its most severe penalties on a medical professional when American Dr Mitchell Dean Feller was formally censured, struck off the register of New Zealand General Practitioners, fined $5000, and ordered to pay $56,100 in costs. His offence was peddling an untested concoction his company PureCure called Te Kiri Gold, with claims it could kill cancer cells. He was apparently back in US and did not attend the hearing. Bottles of the stuff, which turned out to be little more than chlorinated water, were sold to cancer sufferers for $50 a litre. It was not the first time Dr Feller found himself in trouble with medical authorities. He was publicly reprimanded in 2005 by authorities in US after misusing prescription drugs and ordered to pay $US10, 000 plus costs and restrictions were added to his medical licence. That should have set alarm bells clanging when he applied to practice in New Zealand but he seemed to have slipped under the radar… but not for long. His medical registration was revoked in August 2014 by the Medical Council of New Zealand when he was working at the Opunake Medical Centre and lost his job there but it was renewed two months later when he started work at the Mountainview Medical Centre but the South Taranaki practice suddenly in April last year in a dispute with Immigration New Zealand. Preying on the vulnerable Te Kiri Gold appears to be just one more in a long list of quack concoctions cleverly designed to relieve desperately ill people of their anxiety and money. Many of these so called remedies or therapies are designed to target vulnerable people with all manner of real or imagined maladies. Many of the makers and sellers of these products are little more than cheats, charlatans or so called snake oil merchants. When people become frightened, by terminal illness or some other traumatic development, they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation by self- proclaimed miracle workers or those claiming to have special abilities not recognised by mainstream medical professionals. Some of these people are genuine in their beliefs and have no other motive than to help distressed people. Even the placebo effect can be better than nothing for those who face imminent death and can find help nowhere else. Others, however, are sinister liars who seek only to relieve people of their money or gain power and control over others to satisfy their ego. And it is very difficult to tell the genuine believers from the hoaxers. But there are a number of clear signs, for those who choose to look for them, that some of these so-called therapies should be treated with caution. The first is if they are presented as natural, pure, organic or under the mantle of some form of church or religious group. The tactic has been with us for a very long time from the days when holy water was sprinkled on anything and anyone to deal with almost every imaginable misadventure. The second sign is if they come without the endorsement of the medical profession or even evidence of the efficacy of the product, but the endorsement of a well-known celebrity. That is what we have the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and Medical Council of New Zealand for. Which begs the question why did it take so long to deal with this latest betrayal of trust and why was Dr Feller ever allowed to practice in New Zealand to start with? The public and all the other honest and dedicated medical professionals have a right to expect swifter and more decisive action from authorities than this. AFI S3 WITH WIDE WHEELS Afi S wins 2011 European Life Science and Medicine products design award! 202059AA From $8500.00 AFI S4 DUAL SEAT WITH CANOPY From $8500.00 SE SPORTSTER From $8500.00 AFI C4 From $6000.00 Safe | Smooth | Functional | Comfortable & Stylish | Features | Lockable Storage Phone: 0800 354 837 www.elitescooters.co.nz NZ Importer and Distributor of Afikim Electric Vehicles THE STAIRLIFT PEOPLE STANNAH STAIRLIFTS Working in partnership with leading manufacturer Stannah Stairlifts, Independence 2011 have been changing peoples lives in New Zealand, giving them back their independence to go up and down their stairs and stay living in the home they love. • For Curved and Straight stairs • Indoor and outdoor models • Recondition units • Free no obligation quote Freephone 0800 92 66 77 www.independence.co.nz D5590J
NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMBER 2019 25 FUNDS TO INVEST? CONSIDER OUR MORTGAGE FUND If you have money in the bank, no doubt you found it hard to get excited about the Reserve Bank interest rate cuts in May and August, to New Zealand’s record low OCR of 1.00%. A low OCR means lower mortgage rates, but it also means reduced interest rates on savings. For those wanting to generate income from their savings, term deposits with a high street bank may not currently be the most prosperous option. If you’re looking for a higher return on your investment there are several alternatives available, but you should understand how they work first. Whilst rate is important, it’s also important to understand how assets are managed, by whom, and whether you can access your funds when you need them. An example of an accessible alternative outside of term deposit and dividend orientated shares is (amongst other assets 1 ) mortgage funds. PROS OF MORTGAGE FUNDS: • Mortgage funds target capital, with stable, income-based returns from portfolios of loans secured by mortgages • Investors usually receive regular income payments • Generally offer stable returns SOME POINTS TO BE AWARE OF: • Be wary of funds that allow related-party transactions • Avoid those with high loan-to-value ratios and lack of diversity of loans • The manager’s experience is crucial. At Midlands Mortgage Trust we’ve been closely managing factors such as the quality of assets, duration of our loans and holding cash for liquidity since 2004 – all for the purpose of a regular return to the investor. 1. https://moneymag.com.au/four-alternatives-to-term-deposits/ For further information on how to invest with Midlands Mortgage Trust, or to discuss your requirements further, visit Midlands’ website or call their office today. 0800 870 326 midlandsmortgagetrust.co.nz invest with confidence enjoy a regular return. 5.20 % * ANNUALISED PRE-TAX QUARTERLY RETURN INVEST WITH MIDLANDS If you have a term deposit, savings, nest egg or inheritance now is the time to invest with Midlands. Contact us today for your free info pack or a Product Disclosure Statement. 0800 870 326 midlandsmortgagetrust.co.nz Midlands Mortgage Trust’s Product Disclosure Statement can be found at: www.midlandsmortgagetrust.co.nz/document/product-disclosure-statement or www.companiesoffice.govt.nz/ disclose (search ‘Midlands Mortgage Trust’). *5.20% is the latest annualised quarterly pre-tax return for the quarter ended 30th June 2019, before tax. Annualised returns paid quarterly. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. **Withdrawals are processed twice weekly and are subject to a requirement to pay within 90 days as provided in the trust deed. Fund Managers Central Limited is the manager of Midlands Mortgage Trust and is the issuer of units in the Midlands Mortgage Trust. Fund Managers Central Limited is not a registered bank but is licensed under the Financial Markets Conduct Act as a manager of registered schemes.
Page 1 and 2: A lifestyle quarterly and official
Page 3 and 4: NEW EDITOR ANNOUNCED The Grey Power
Page 5 and 6: Super Sleep for Seniors Free delive
Page 7 and 8: XTR-Vision Lutein 20mg, Zeaxanthin
Page 9 and 10: Awarded THE BEST IN AUSTRALIA SAVE
Page 11 and 12: NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMBER
Page 23: Negotiating the environment. Photo/
Page 33 and 34: Love the life you choose When you m
Page 36 and 37: 36 NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMB
Page 56: 56 NZ GREYPOWER MAGAZINE » SEPTEMB

Grey Power September 2019

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?