EVENT ON ELDER ABUSE AND FRAUD
OPEN TO ALL
JULY 29 at 10 AM
Look with mercy, O God our Father, on all whose increasing years bring them weakness, distress, or isolation. Provide for them homes of dignity and peace; give them understanding helpers, and the willingness to accept help; and, as their strength diminishes, increase their faith and their assurance of your love. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (
Book of Common Prayer.)
June 15 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and there is a silent type of abuse that is becoming more prevalent—and it affects not just the elderly, but all of us! Its name is fraud. As we recently learned all too sadly, systems can be hacked and identities potentially compromised or stolen. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) also recognizes financial abuse as a form of elder abuse.
I recently watched a webinar presented by the Church Pension Group, and the presenter was a lawyer named Paul Greenwood. Paul headed up the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit for 22 years in the San Diego District Attorney’s office. It was eye-opening to learn of ways some of the elderly were taken advantage of, and also how to protect oneself from fraud. Here are some of his tips:
1. Choose caregivers with caution—use agencies only; don’t hire through the newspaper or something such as Craig’s list. Ask to see the background checks done by the agency.
2. Keep an inventory of all jewelry—take photos or videos of valuable or sentimental pieces.
3. Shred EVERYTHING!
4. Protect incoming and outgoing mail—consider renting a PO Box. Need new checks? Get them only from a bank and have just your first initial and last name as your signature.
5. You’ll never win the foreign lottery. Montreal is the #1 source of mail about foreign lotteries.
6. Every phone needs to have caller ID. If you don’t recognize the number, let it go to voicemail.
Every year,
$37 BILLION is stolen from America’s elderly.
Want to know more?
On Saturday, July 29th at 10 am, Paul will be on a Zoom call here at St. Luke’s! We’ll use the big screen in Pope Hall to project the call. You are welcome to bring friends and/or family members to this presentation. It will last about an hour and a half, and the knowledge you will gain is priceless.
If you have any questions, please contact me either by email,
bwilliams@stlukesbr.org, or by calling the office, 225-926-5343.
Faithfully yours,
Becky Williams, RN, BSN
Director of Health Ministries
