Home > There are several challenges that come with advancing age; memory may not be as sharp as it once was, mobility may be a little bit restricted, reflexes become slow, eyes start to get blurry, and this is just to mention a few.
Right At Home | There are several challenges that come with advancing age
As much as society recognizes the need to cater to the elderly and provide assistance to them in the ways they need, there are also some unscrupulous members of the society that wish to take advantage of the decline that usually comes with aging. Some are more at risk than others because the effect of aging may hit harder in a set of individuals than in others.
A major concern to look into is if there is a need for some kind of physical assistance. Some of the older citizens can’t do their shopping by themselves, they can’t make it to their doctor’s appointments without help — and that’s even if they remember, or maintain the house and run small errands.
At this point, there would be a need for a caregiver, and the process of deciding who that person is, is the key to protecting your elderly from exploitation that may come as a result of their new limitations. There are companies that offer services like that, they provide you with assistance in the little things you need to get done.
There are companies that offer assistance in the little things you need to get done
Someone will work directly with you to ensure that appointments are met, groceries are bought, and the house is maintained. Leaving a senior member of society without this care exposes them to those who would want to defraud them for personal gains.
They could try to have them pay for something made up, or charge them more than is necessary for a good or service. But having the senior catered for will help to avoid something like that happening, and in addition, let your elderly know not to give out any sensitive information to anyone who isn’t family or over the phone.
Sadly it’s not unlikely for senior citizens to still be exploited by their caregivers. Elderly people who don’t have family staying in touch with them are more likely to face this type of exploitation. If the caregiver gains their trust, they may use that as leverage to carry out this abuse.
It can be avoided by ensuring there’s constant communication between the elderly person and the family member who has put them in the care of another. Paying close attention during discussions and staying involved with your elder’s life remain the best ways to prevent exploitation because you should definitely get a hint that something is wrong from your conversations if anything like that is going on.
Trentalange & Kelley, P.A. | It’s not unlikely for senior citizens to still be exploited by their caregivers
The elder would also expect that there is nothing about their care they haven’t been told by family, and it makes it hard for caregivers to make something up or talk about expenses with them.
If the harm has already been done and financial exploitation has been happening, it can still be detected through unpaid utility bills, and bank records that point out strange withdrawals from the account.