The National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa (Nofsa) is urging the elderly to avoid buying supplements for osteoporosis from businessmen in malls, but to rather see qualified people who specialise in the field, in order to avoid any risks. Speaking to VOC, Nofsa CEO Terresa Hough said many old age homes have been targeted over the past few months for densitometry and that non-medical individuals are using ordinary ultra sound machines to determine whether these innocent people suffer from osteoporosis.
“My greatest fear is that the innocent people out there are being bullied into having a test done and the important thing we need to bare in mind is that there are prospective rules and guidelines to having a burn density test done. These individuals either stand in shopping malls or go around door to door and the most recent one is that they are going into old age homes and targeting the vulnerable old people into having a sauna test done,” she said.
Hough said they use portable bone density machines for measurements or sell them a supplement to make their bones stronger. "What really is bugging me is that they use these people to get supplements from health shops and then sell these things to the old people if they have a low bone density,” said Hough. Many unqualified individuals are doing this to make quick a buck. “Those people have no experience with patients who have osteoporosis and many of them are ordinary business people who go into these old age homes and just want to make money, taking from the innocent," said Hough.
"It’s just very unethical, and that’s why better to call us, as we specify in the field." More than 25% of people who have osteoporosis pass away because they are not informed and treated properly. “Because of the age that plays a serious part in the risk of developing osteoporosis, we are very worried. The only criteria these people have when dealing with these patients is that one has to be over the age of 50 and they don’t speak about the risk of the disease at all. These salesmen don’t know the risk factors for developing osteoporosis and the seriousness that comes with it. Therefore we only recommend these tests done over the age of 65,” she advised.
She urged elderly to not buy from any individuals and to go to medical professions in future. “I am not sure what stories they do tell these people but they are really getting bullied and bamboozled into paying a cash fee in this process as well as buying the supplement from them. People are paying as much as R350 for simple test. Please I urge you to rather go to professions to avoid any risk as this is indeed a huge problem if you are suffering from the disease.”
If you would like to know more on the National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa or if you have relatives suffering from osteoporosis, you can contact the center on 021 931 7894 or Teresa Hough on 0832562299. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)
“My greatest fear is that the innocent people out there are being bullied into having a test done and the important thing we need to bare in mind is that there are prospective rules and guidelines to having a burn density test done. These individuals either stand in shopping malls or go around door to door and the most recent one is that they are going into old age homes and targeting the vulnerable old people into having a sauna test done,” she said.
Hough said they use portable bone density machines for measurements or sell them a supplement to make their bones stronger. "What really is bugging me is that they use these people to get supplements from health shops and then sell these things to the old people if they have a low bone density,” said Hough. Many unqualified individuals are doing this to make quick a buck. “Those people have no experience with patients who have osteoporosis and many of them are ordinary business people who go into these old age homes and just want to make money, taking from the innocent," said Hough.
"It’s just very unethical, and that’s why better to call us, as we specify in the field." More than 25% of people who have osteoporosis pass away because they are not informed and treated properly. “Because of the age that plays a serious part in the risk of developing osteoporosis, we are very worried. The only criteria these people have when dealing with these patients is that one has to be over the age of 50 and they don’t speak about the risk of the disease at all. These salesmen don’t know the risk factors for developing osteoporosis and the seriousness that comes with it. Therefore we only recommend these tests done over the age of 65,” she advised.
She urged elderly to not buy from any individuals and to go to medical professions in future. “I am not sure what stories they do tell these people but they are really getting bullied and bamboozled into paying a cash fee in this process as well as buying the supplement from them. People are paying as much as R350 for simple test. Please I urge you to rather go to professions to avoid any risk as this is indeed a huge problem if you are suffering from the disease.”
If you would like to know more on the National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa or if you have relatives suffering from osteoporosis, you can contact the center on 021 931 7894 or Teresa Hough on 0832562299. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)
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