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Home Instead Senior CareAs sad as it is, there are scam artists out there looking to take advantage of people, and seniors are frequently their targets. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help protect your loved ones from senior scams.
Canadians are spending more time online and seniors are no exception, with Public Safety Canada citing that approximately 70 percent go online every day. The internet has become a popular source of entertainment and, according to Stats Canada, playing games is the second-most popular online leisure activity among older adults.
These are ways family members and home care agency caregivers can help protect their senior loved ones from the threat of scams, from the National Association of Triads, Inc. and Home Instead Senior Care.
As handy as the internet can be for accessing information, shopping and helping with daily tasks, there are pockets of the online world that can be misleading and fake. And for older adults it can sometimes be difficult to spot the difference.
The top five senior scams and how they work, according to The National Association of Triads, Inc. and Home Instead Senior Care.
Stakes are high when criminals target older adults.
Scams often are geared to older adults with the intent to defraud them of money and even property. However, these scam artists often will stay away from older adults who have a support network. Make your presence visible in your senior loved one's life. If you can't be there, consider recommending to your older adults hiring a second set of eyes and ears such as a professional caregiving service.
Elder abuse is among the most reprehensible of crimes against seniors. Regrettably, a study by the National Research Council estimated that there are between one and two million cases of elder abuse in the U.S. and the Senate Special Committee on Aging has speculated that four times as many cases of abuse against older adults go unreported.
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