| Very often, the role of a caregiver is a blend of a | | | | parents' house, then you can be sure that they |
| doctor, maid, advisor and even an amateur | | | | have been ripped off. |
| detective. Elderly people are gullible and get | | | | - Begin paying attention to their budget. There |
| regularly fleeced by smooth talking sales persons. | | | | may be some problem with the bank account, or |
| The elderly are fiercely protective of their | | | | too many checks to con artists. Check out the |
| finances and how they use them. However, often | | | | credit card statement as well. |
| they make wrong decisions about where to | | | | - Check out the 'sent folder' in the email account |
| spend their money. Therefore, you as a caregiver | | | | to verify any response to scam email schemes. |
| have to look after this aspect and see that their | | | | Your elderly parents are very often defensive of |
| limited resources will tide them over as long as | | | | their financial activities and will resent your |
| possible. | | | | interference in their affairs. It takes some amount |
| Many senior citizens have become the victims of | | | | of gentle coaxing and convincing to let you see |
| scams and smooth talking sales persons who sell | | | | the documents. Getting involved in bogus contests |
| them a hope and a dream in exchange for their | | | | or get rich quick schemes is addictive and your |
| money. These sales persons are constantly calling | | | | elderly parents are no exception to this. In spite |
| or emailing old people in the hope of getting a fast | | | | of losing thousands of dollars to such scams, they |
| buck. If the elders become victims of a scam, it is | | | | will still get cheated by the next crook who |
| something they try to hide from their caregivers. | | | | manages to convince them, because they are |
| You as a caregiver may never know if they have | | | | addicted to it. You need to be gentle and |
| been ripped off, and they will never tell you about | | | | understanding to approach the problem and find a |
| it. Hence, you have to assume the role of an | | | | solution. |
| amateur detective to find out about such | | | | As a caregiver, you must convince your elderly |
| episodes and take steps to rectify the situation | | | | parents to let you handle their finances. You can |
| as much as possible. There may be some things | | | | start by handling their taxes and once they are |
| you can observe to find out if your parents are | | | | comfortable with the idea, you can offer to take |
| victims of scams: | | | | over the bill payment and manage the checkbook. |
| - Watch out for your parents' mail. If they | | | | Later, you can begin gently questioning the |
| receive large amounts of junk mail with get rich | | | | expenditure that looks suspicious to you. Do not |
| quick schemes, or phony contests, etc., it is | | | | try to get back any lost money, however, be |
| possible that they may have become a victim of | | | | vigilant enough to prevent any unfamiliar person |
| some scam. | | | | from getting access to the money. Cancel all the |
| - Spend some time at your parent's home and | | | | direct debits that are not easily identifiable. Start |
| answer the phone there. If there are a large | | | | getting a control over the phone calls, junk mail |
| number of calls from charities or scam offers, | | | | and emails. In other words, you have to play the |
| then their names have got passed around to | | | | role of a guard dog to protect your parents from |
| other such scam artists. | | | | scam artists and con men out to fleece them of |
| - If you see a lot of junk items lying around your | | | | their money. |