Page 22 - Dr Pamela Peeke

A guide for family, friends and loved

ones in preparing for the effects of the

growing elder population …a Public

Service from “Those Who Care”

Provided by Visiting Angels
America’s Choice in Homecare! ™

Long distance protection…well worth the effort…
• Place checkbooks and bank statements in a file cabinet or drawer
Question: My mom is 82 years old, in great shape mentally and that locks.
physically, but lives alone. My challenge is that I’m in another city…
hours away…what can I do to help her feel less vulnerable and • Never leave opened mail out where it may be read by anyone
relieve some of the guilt I’m feeling? walking in the house (especially bank statements and credit card
statements).
Answer: Tough economic times do not exclude our elderly, who
often live alone on fixed budgets. We may not be able to positively • Have someone in your family review credit card statements
affect their budget matters, but we certainly can help our elderly monthly for any unauthorized purchases. If there is no one in the
better protect their valuables at home. family to perform this, ask an attorney or bank professional to help
perform this review.
Crimes against our elderly are clearly on the rise. The elderly are
vulnerable. They tend to be trusting and often physically weaker • Have a credit report done at least quarterly.
than their attackers. To combat this troubling trend, we need to fo-
cus our attention on how we can help protect our elderly. One area • Make an inventory of valuables in the home. Take photos of
where small changes can make a big impact is improving security the items, and, if possible, permanently affix identifying numbers
around the home. In fact, all of us need to be reminded from time to those items (either through engraving or permanent marking).
to time about certain, basic procedures that can quickly and easily Place this inventory information in the safe deposit box.
protect our homes from thefts. For example:
• If you have a personal caregiver with your mother, father or rela-
22 • Try and make your routine for being in the home and away less tive, keep all communication between your caregiver, the care
predictable. Vary the times and duration that inside and outside recipient, and family open and flowing.
lights are placed on and off. Use timers or manually complete this
task. The unpredictability of this simple idea will make your home a It may not be possible to prevent all crime against our elderly
riskier target to criminals. They are looking for easy victims. population. It is certainly possible, though, to eliminate much of it
through simple, logical steps, as outlined above. It takes coordina-
• Check all doors and windows to be sure they are locked on a daily tion among all the parties involved, but reducing crime against the
basis. Far too many robberies happen because car doors or win- elderly in our care is well worth the effort.
dows and doors in our home were left unlocked. Don't make it easy
for criminals to get into your car or home. Can you hear us now?

• If you are away, have newspapers and mail picked up by neigh- Question: I’m a 58 year old male, and maybe I'm unique when it
bors. comes to my hearing, but I doubt it. There was a time when I could
easily listen to the television/radio, focus on what I was reading, and
• Consider a security system for the home. Use deadbolts, not just still clearly hear the numerous conversations going on around me.
door knob locks. Install "peep holes" in the main doors of the house, Well, that time has come and gone. Now, I find myself only able to
so you can see who is at the door. focus on one or maybe two "happenings." It doesn't seem to be a
problem, as I get more enjoyment from the singular nature of my
• Look into a personal emergency response system – a push-button attention limitations. However, is it a sign of things to come?
emergency help that typically gives you trained response teams
ready to assist 24/7 Answer: Hearing loss simply sneaks up on you. A small loss,
nearly imperceptible at first, becomes a major impediment if left
In addition to the above, the following specific actions will help to untreated. This is exactly what happens as we age. We often
protect you and those you love: leave the symptoms of hearing loss untreated. Instead, as we age,
we begin to compensate for the loss or avoid the situations that
• Place all valuable papers (insurance documents, wills, trusts, bank seem the most frustrating. For example, if your hearing loss is ap-
books, etc.) in a locked file cabinet or in a safe deposit box at the parent when you are in a group of people, you tend to avoid parties
care recipient's bank. or gatherings of your friends or colleagues. This can lead to social
isolation, irritability, and possibly depression.
• Check telephone bills for unauthorized calls (i.e., 900 numbers,
collect calls, etc.).
Issue 2, 2009