Who doesn’t want to be scammed? All of us do. Unfortunately, some people with bad intents make a business out of it and get away with it. In fact, according to Reuters, 1 out of 18 older Americans get scammed every year, still not including those seniors who are victimized by their own family members. It’s a sad report, truly.
But there’s something you can do about it. As a provider of non-medical home care in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, our team at Angels of Care LLC knows how our beloved seniors can be an easy prey. We would like to share the following safety tips so that you or your loved one can develop protection before these incidences occur.
- Awareness
You have to know and realize that these kinds of people exist and these kinds of wrong activities happen. The National Council on Aging even mentioned that even family members can financially abuse their elderly relatives. The common scenarios are creating and depleting a joint account, promising something for money but not delivering anything, theft, and of course, threat. With awareness, the next person you might be able to save is you.
- Isolation
Elderly people who are alone at home are prone to abuse and scams. Don’t put yourself away from society. Be involved. If your senior loved one is mostly left alone at home, get them someone from a reputable provider of home care services to keep them company. You can also find help from your own Eldercare locator.
- Credit card
If you’re using credit cards, make sure that you burn or shred your receipts. If someone calls you and asks you to provide similar information, don’t give them even if they claim to be your family members. Unless it’s you who made the call, don’t share your credit card information with anybody else.
- Direct deposits
If you have regular checks coming in, arrange for it to be directly deposited to your account. Some seniors still use physical mailboxes to receive documents. These checks can still be stolen by others when mailed to you or when left exposed in your mailbox receivers.
- Unsolicited offers
When someone makes an offer about buying anything, don’t shell out cash immediately. It’s always safe to be informed before purchasing any item. Do your research first. If some contracts are also offered to you, get some legal aid to help you understand the terms laid out.
If you have a senior family member you truly care about, help them watch out of these incidences. Look out for signs of fraud or abuse such as unusual changes in bank accounts or credit card use, your senior loved one feeling suddenly scared, or unpaid bills despite supposedly sufficient income.
If you want your senior loved one to be properly cared for and free from suspicious personalities, get the care services of reputable agencies such as Angels of Care LLC. We provide adequate screening of our staff so that we can provide quality care with your safety, convenience, and dignity in our minds.
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