Can You Protect Your Senior from Identity Theft?

Senior Care in Herndon VA: Protecting Your Senior From Identity Theft

Each year millions of people fall victim to identity theft.  This form of crime can be very difficult to detect until it has already had detrimental effects, and once it has been done it is very difficult to recover from, often leaving the victims in serious debt, at major financial losses, and even with fraudulent insurance claims, accounts, and even crimes under their identity.  As a family caregiver, it is extremely important to recognize that elderly adults are among the most vulnerable to this type of crime and are victimized at a much higher rate than younger people.  Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to protect your parent and to help them avoid the potentially devastating consequences of this type of theft.

Some ways that you can protect your senior from identity theft include:

• Contact credit card companies and request that your parent’s name be removed from any future offers and mailings.

• Encourage them to protect their PINs for their bank cards. They should not write these on the back of their card or on a piece of paper that they keep in their wallet.  If they are using an ATM or a keypad, they should shield the screen to prevent others from seeing their number

• Pay for gas inside rather than using outdoor payment stations as these can be vulnerable to criminals putting devices on them that can read cards and gather personal information

• Make sure that they know to never click a link inside of an email that comes from someone they do not know, was unsolicited, or seems out of character, even if the address seems to be familiar

• Teach them to recognize a safe and secure website and that they should only ever put financial information into such websites

• Help them to understand that companies will not ask for personal information such as Social Security numbers, PINs, financial information, or other details online or over the phone, particularly if they are not solicited.

A Senior Care Provider can Help…

If you have been trying to find ways to enhance your parent’s life while also ensuring that they are getting all of the assistance that they need to remain healthy, happy, safe, and comfortable, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting home care for them. An in-home senior care services provider can be with your elderly loved-one on a customized schedule that ensures that they are there for them when your parent needs them, while also keeping you at the forefront of their care routine.  The highly personalized services of a home care provider are tailored to specifically address your parent’s individual needs, challenges, and limitations while also helping

The highly personalized services of a home care provider are tailored to specifically address your parent’s individual needs, challenges, and limitations while also helping them to live a lifestyle that is as active, engaged, and independent as possible.  Even if your parent’s needs are not serious and they are already able to live a largely independent lifestyle, home care can enable them to save time and energy, engage in more activities and events, remain more mentally and physically active, and seek a quality of life that is more fulfilling throughout their later years.

Are you or a loved-one considering senior care in Herndon, VA?  Please call the caring staff at Medical Professionals On Call today.
Contact: 703-273-8818

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nextadvisorcom/4-tips-to-protect-seniors-against-fraud-and-identity-theft_b_7842850.html
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/Identity-Theft/protecting-the-elderly-from-identity-theft.html
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0271-warning-signs-identity-theft
http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/identity-theft-and-cybercrime
https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft

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Michelle DeFilippis

I graduated with a BS degree and had been selling medical equipment to hospitals, clinics and technicians. More recently, a family member was diagnosed with dementia and we, as a family, realized we were not prepared t care for her. We were thrown into that whirlpool of hospital stays, 24/7 live-in care, skilled care, caring for mom ourselves and finally, now daily home care. This was such a stressful time that I started thinking there had to be other people, other families as overwhelmed and unprepared as we were.

Medical Professionals On Call has such a caring, professional staff who are available to step in with whatever level of care necessary for loved ones and to relieve you of that stress.

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