Posts Tagged ‘senior scams’
Scams Targeting Older Americans: 5 Things You Need to Know
Scams are nothing new, but as technology evolves, the scams evolve right along with it. But scams don’t always come in the form of emails or hacked online accounts, especially when they’re targeting older adults. There are a few things that tend to make older Americans more vulnerable to scams, and the fact that they’re often thought of as having significant funds at their disposal makes them prime targets.
That said, it’s not just the wealthy older Americans who fall victim to scams and financial abuse. Low-income adults are just as likely to be the targets of scams, so let’s take a look at some of the things for which you should be on the lookout.
Medicare Fraud
One common technique is for scammers to call Americans over the age of 65 and pretend to be calling from Medicare so they can get their target to give them their personal information over the phone.
Another tactic is for scammers to provide bogus medical services for older Americans in mobile clinics, then they use the information they collect from their “patients” to collect money from Medicare. They make sure to use mobile clinics so they can disappear before anyone realizes what they’ve done.
Fake Prescription Drugs
With the cost of prescription drugs going up, older Americans, who are most often living on a fixed income, are increasingly turning to the internet to find more affordable options for the drugs they need. This has created an opportunity for scammers to sell fake prescription drugs online to seniors who need certain medications, but can’t always afford the high prices charged by their local pharmacy.
This scam is especially dangerous because, not only are older Americans robbed of what little money they have to spend on their medical needs, but the fact that they are then given something that won’t help their medical condition could ultimately lead to the worsening of that medical condition.
Funeral Scams
We all know that funerals can be expensive, but people who are unaware of just how expensive a funeral can be are vulnerable to unscrupulous funeral home owners who often use this lack of familiarity with the actual costs of their products and services to grossly overcharge the grieving family members of the recently deceased. One common scam is for funeral homes to insist that even direct cremations need to be made in one of the most expensive caskets, even when a much less expensive casket will do.
Another common funeral scam is for strangers to attend a funeral, then approach the grieving next of kin and insist the deceased owed them a substantial amount of money.
Telemarketing
This generation of older Americans is accustomed to buying things over the phone, which leaves them vulnerable to scammers calling them and offering to sell them bogus products or services over the phone. The problem with these scams is they are incredibly hard to trace. Once the payment information has been provided, the scammer is essentially able to take the money and run, and to make matters worse, the name and phone number of the target is often shared with other scammers, so the same person is often scammed multiple times before they even realize it.
Whether you want to help protect your aging loved one from scams, or just the normal hazards of aging (or both), we at Stillwater Senior Living are here to help. Just reach out now to see how we can help your loved ones age as safely and comfortably as possible.
Am I At Risk for Alzheimer’s?
Few things are more terrifying than the idea of your own mind betraying you, but that’s essentially what happens to those who develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It would be less terrifying if we had an effective treatment to cure (or even prevent) Alzheimer’s disease, but at the moment, no such treatment exists.
Even so, many people still want to know if they might be at risk for developing Alzheimer’s. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and if you know what to expect, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself, even if it’s just getting your affairs in order and making sure you have a good power of attorney you know will represent your interests if the worst were to happen. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s disease:
Age
Although early onset Alzheimer’s provides some exceptions to the rule, Alzheimer’s and dementia primarily affect people over the age of 65, and their risk of developing Alzheimer’s doubles every five years after they turn 65. By the time people reach their 80s, they have a one in six chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
Gender
Although no one knows why as of yet, we do know that women over the age of 65 are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as men. Part of it might have to do with the loss of estrogen women experience after going through menopause.
Family History/Genetics
Although we know that someone is more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease if someone in their family has or had Alzheimer’s, only early onset Alzheimer’s has been definitively identified as something that gets passed down from one generation to the next.
There are more than 20 genes that have been identified as playing a role in increasing or decreasing someone’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life and researchers are still working out which genes play what role in the development or prevention of Alzheimer’s. Nothing is inevitable – not even Alzheimer’s disease – so if you know you have some of the genes that put you at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s, you’ll want to take extra care to maintain as healthy a lifestyle as possible to try to reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s later in life.
Lifestyle
People who maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially in their middle ages and older, are somewhat less likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared to those who don’t maintain a healthy lifestyle. This means exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco, and moderating their alcohol consumption. It also means staying mentally and socially active.
Health Conditions
If you have certain medical conditions, you might be at a higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s. The riskiest conditions include diabetes, stroke and heart disease, high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol and obesity, especially later in life.
If you have any other questions about dementia and/or Alzheimer’s, whether it’s regarding your own risk factors, or a loved one who is already exhibiting symptoms of mental decay, we’re here to help.
5 Ways to Celebrate Summer in Assisted Living
Summer is officially here, but as our older loved ones age, they lose the ability to do a lot of the things that mark a traditional summer vacation, such as camping, hiking, swimming at the beach, and volleyball tournaments. Now this pandemic has even taken away our barbeque parties and large family gatherings. What’s a senior to do?
Just because we’re stuck inside and a few of our loved ones may have started to lose some of their physical and/or mental capabilities doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun this summer. We have a few ideas you can use to celebrate summer with your loved ones in assisted living.
- Geography Competition
Can you name all 50 states without looking them up? Can you accurately locate all 50 states on a blank map? Do you know where Mount Rushmore is located? Compare your knowledge to that of your friends and family and you might be surprised to find out how much you don’t know about your own country.
- Got Kids? Send Pix!
Few things engage seniors like pictures of the grandkids, so send them pictures early and often, especially if your kids are at an age where they’re growing quickly. Keep the grandparents up to date with recent photos, as well as letters detailing the kids’ development and what they’ve been up to these days.
- Send Hand-Written Letters
Phone calls are great, but there’s something about a hand-written letter that just makes someone feel extra special. You can write about whatever you would normally tell them over the phone: give them updates on what you’ve been doing; tell them funny stories; reminisce over old times, etc. The fact that they can keep a letter and read it over and over whenever they feel bored or lonely makes it priceless.
- Crafts
Even while social distancing, we can still bond over the age-old custom of crafting. You can buy a paint-by-numbers kit (or freestyle a painting, if your talents lie that way) and send it to your loved one to hang in their apartment. You can make them jewelry that they can wear to feel special and remember you, even when you can’t be in the room with them.
They can also make their own crafts and send them to you. Swapping crafts might not be the same as making crafts together, but it’s still a great way for each of us to remind the other that we’re thinking of them.
- Decorate!
Depending on what stage of reopening your state is in, you may or may not be able to go in and physically visit your loved one in assisted living, but you can always make decorations they can hang in their apartment or outside their window. You can make your handmade decorations around a theme, such as your loved one’s favorite movies, songs, or summer activities to make it extra fun!
If you’re looking for more ideas on how you can celebrate summer with your loved ones in assisted living, we have plenty of ideas. Reach out now to start a conversation.
Top 5 Senior Scams and How to Avoid Them
It’s an unfortunate fact that seniors are prime targets for scammers. They are perceived as being more trusting and many of them have acquired savings and valuable assets to help get them through retirement. The combination is too tempting for many scammers to resist. Below are the five most common scams targeting seniors and how you can avoid them.
Congratulations! You’re a Winner!
Everyone likes to win. With all the stories of big lottery winners taking home millions of dollars, it’s exciting to think about what we would do if we won a lottery or giveaway of some type. Scammers take advantage of this by contacting unsuspecting targets and telling them they’ve won some sort of sweepstakes, but with a catch: the target has to pay to cover the taxes and fees before they can get their prize.
Winners never pay in order to receive their prize. That would defeat the purpose. Legitimate sweepstakes and lotteries have other forms of income to pay their bills, such as the tickets purchased by everyone who enters the lottery. Any time someone tells you that you have to pay to get a prize, hang up and report the incident to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) right away.
An Exciting Investment Opportunity
Because many seniors are more concerned than ever about saving/investing for retirement, they are prime targets for investment fraud. Scammers will often call the target claiming they have a great investment opportunity for them with little-to-no risk and big returns.
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always consult a reliable, trustworthy financial analyst before making any big investments.
You Haven’t Paid Your Taxes
This scam has been targeting all age groups – not just seniors. Someone calls pretending to be from the IRS, saying the target has not paid their taxes, and if they don’t pay immediately, they’ll face serious consequences, such as a revoked drivers’ license or arrest.
The IRS does not call or email citizens. They use the postal service, and they should never be pushy or aggressive, which scam callers usually are to intimidate their targets into paying up. If you get a call or email claiming to be from the IRS and threatening you for not paying your taxes, feel free to hang up or delete the email, because it’s not legitimate.
I Need You to Bail Me Out
Another common scam is when the conperson calls pretending to be a relative who has been arrested abroad and needs to have money wired to them to bail them out.
In reality, that relative may never have been to that country at all. Be sure to contact other family members to confirm that person is really there and that the situation is legitimate. No one wants to leave a family member hanging in their hour of need, but you should never wire money anywhere without first confirming the person is who they say they are.
We Can Fix Those Windows For You
Some scammers show up on your doorstep offering home repair services you don’t need … or didn’t think you needed. These scammers get their targets to pay upfront for work that will be done at a later date. In reality, the work is poorly done or never done at all.
Never pay for services before you’ve received them. Most licensed contractors don’t go door-to-door soliciting work, but if you’re not sure, you can always ask for their business card and do your own research later.