U.S. Alert

Three Senior Crimes are on the rise

Home Instead Senior Care Launches Senior Fraud Awareness Program that Empowers Older Americans, Families and Caregivers with Information and the Tools to Prevent Scams

Rising incidents of scams targeting older adults present an enormous threat to seniors' security, both financially and emotionally. Senior fraud victims may suffer long-lasting trauma that often erodes their sense of trust and well-being, eldercare experts have noted.

Three crimes, in particular, are on the rise, experts say. They are identity theft, Medicaid/Medicare and medication fraud, and financial exploitation.

A recent MetLife study titled "The MetLife Study of Elder Financial Abuse" revealed that the annual financial loss by victims of elder financial abuse is estimated to be at least $2.9 billion, a 12 percent increase since 2008. Details of these crimes, from National Association of Triads Director Ed Hutchison, include:

   1. Health care fraud including Medicare/Medicaid scams and medication theft. The major fraud tactic in this growing industry that frequently gets ignored is the misuse of a medical card. Scammers fabricate treatment and get paid for it. Another strategy involves finding a senior in need of medical supplies, calling him or her and saying, "Give us your Medicare card number and we can send your supplies through the mail." Or criminals can obtain treatments or medication by assuming an older adult's identity.

   The World Privacy Forum revealed that a half million Americans have been victims of identity theft and health care fraud. The National White Collar Crimes Center puts the loss due to health care fraud at $100 billion or 10 percent of America's total health care expenditures.

   What's more, many seniors take multiple prescription medications. Crimes of theft and fraud are being committed by those who break into a senior's home for the purpose of stealing those medications.

   2. Identity theft. It's amazing the damage a scammer can do with the last four digits of a Social Security number. Those important four numbers can be combined with employment history and addresses to take out loans and lines of credit.

   Scammers sometimes find Social Security numbers on the Internet, so that's why it's important to check your senior's credit often. By law, everyone gets one free credit check a year. Staggering requests among the three credit companies - Experian, Equifax and TransUnion - can allow consumers to check their credit every few months.

   3. Financial exploitation. The financial exploitation of seniors comes in the form of a variety of cons. One of the most successful deceptions perpetrated recently on older adults is the grandparent scam. The fraudster calls the senior claiming to be a grandchild in need of money. The grandparent is instructed to wire money ASAP. "A senior in the community fell for this," said a Home Instead Senior Care® franchise owner recently. "Fortunately, Western Union was suspicious and held up the transaction, successfully averting the crime. This happened before the senior became a Home Instead Senior Care client, but she is still upset."

   Older adults have a high likelihood of becoming the target of a scammer sooner or later, experts say. It might come in the form of a knock on the door, an offer to shingle the roof, a phone call from a friendly voice that guarantees big savings on medications, or an email that promises the biggest return ever on an investment.

Learn the three Financial Abuse Tactics (PDF 420k) that fraudsters use to deceive unsuspecting older adults.

Senior Fraud Awareness Program

The protect Seniors From Fraud program, from Home Instead Senior Care, developed with expert advice from senior-crime prevention organization the National Association of Triads, Inc., provides a number of free on-line resources, including a senior fraud protection Kit with scam prevention tips, risk assessment tools, and advice on what to do if you or a loved one is scammed.  Specific precautions found in these materials, which seniors and their families can implement to help avoid falling victim to con artists include:

--Shredding any documents useful to criminals, such as bank statements, credit card statements and offers, Registering on the national Do-Not-Call Registry and hanging up on all solicitation calls and

--Being wary of individuals who have newly befriended you or a loved one, and make an effort to get to know them.

For more information go to www.ProtectSeniorsFromFraud.com   

FREE Alzheimer's Support Group

If you are a husband, wife, son or daughter, or any one that is a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer's (all stages) or other dementias, then this is the support group for you.

We are currently enrolling family caregivers for a support group that will meet the second Monday evening of every month at our Northborough office location beginning in September 2012 from 6pm - 8pm.

The support group will be facilitated and conducted by Home Instead's CAREGiver Training and Retention Supervisor , Felica Cardone, an Alzheimer's Association Certified Support Group Leader.

Felicia has unique personal experience with Alzheimer's. As her mother's caregiver for over 13 years, she has experienced the disease through all of its phases.

Felicia will be able to help attendees with the emotional aspects of caregiving and living with someone who has Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. Discussions will be facilitated and guided towards understanding individual situations and creating solutions to the many different needs of the group. It will be a place to share your feelings, hear from others in similar situations and get help solving mutual problems.

Light refreshments will be served. You must register to attend.

If you are interested in attending please call 508-393-8338 and ask for Felicia or email Felicia at felicia.cardone@homeinstead.com. 

 The group will consist of a maximum of six people.

Join us in The Walk to End Alzheimer's!

On Sunday, September 30, for the 8th year in a row, we will be participating in The Worcester County Walk To End Alzheimer's. 

The Walk will take place at Quinsigamond Community College and begins at 10:30am. 

Unite in a movement to reclaim the future for millions. The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's™ is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer's disease. Together, we can advance research to treat and prevent Alzheimer's, and provide programs to improve the lives of millions of affected Americans.

The Alzheimer's Association is almost entirely privately funded.  Awareness is our hope.  Join in the movement to end Alzheimer's disease!

TO DONATE or JOIN OUR TEAM for the WALK CLICK HERE

All team members will be provided a team -t-shirt for the day of The Walk!  

If you have signed up to walk with our team, please email Wendy Nollman at wendy.nollman@homeinstead.com with your t-shirt size. 

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  

For more information about this and other senior issues related to health and well being please visit our website: 

 
www.hearthside-homeinstead.com   

Home Instead Senior Care:

 Trusted Care for the Senior You Care For