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Sometimes living alone can become a safety issue. It may be best to not let the outside world, know that someone is living on his or her own. What signals can you send so that outsiders do not automatically view you or your senior loved one as vulnerable?
Create a façade of multiple residents:
2 names on a mailbox
A recent dry cleaning bag hanging in the inside entry with men’s and women’s clothes
In discussions outside the home, one can use the plural pronoun “we” not “I”
Neighborhood listings could include just a last name, or 2 different first names
Consider a private listing for a telephone
Refer to your spouse or a roommate in the present tense around work people, or vendors, or other 3rdparties
Home Physical Security:
Doors and Windows should have working locks in good order. (Use them!)
Consider creating a view of all outside doorways from inside the home…
A Security System may be a consideration to protect both from outside and inside fraud/theft; it can monitor deliveries, personal care providers, or other visitors.
It is best to schedule home deliveries when you will have a companion with you, rather than be home alone…
There is no need to answer the door for unexpected visitors; your family members and friends will know to call in advance, and today with the prevalence of cell phones, they can phone you from the sidewalk!
Do install a Motion Sensor light at all entryways.
There should be no need to hire anyone who “happens” to be in the neighborhood. See our article on “Hiring a Home Contractor – Safely”.
Telephone and Telemarketing Management
You can use caller ID on your phone, and answer only calls when you know the caller; unknown callers will go to voice mail, and you can pick who you would like to call back or if you do not have caller ID, have all calls go into voice mail, and you can call back the selected ones when you choose.
Use the standard issue message on any voice mail set up you have, not your own voice.
Register with the Do Not Call Registry, so that unwanted telemarketing calls cease.
Treat anyone who calls you whom you do not know as a stranger. Remember childhood lessons, “do NOT talk to strangers”, and certainly there would be no need to share any personal or financial information with them.
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If you find that a telemarketer was successful at getting you on the line, just say “I am not interested today” and hang up. They are used to it!
Identity Theft
There are so many cases/types of fraud in this area that we all need to remember basic precautions.
Do not share any financial or personal information with someone who contacts you. Rather you should contact the service provider, and decide if and when you need to share that type of information.
The types of senior scams here are numerous such as:
a “grandchild” calling and in trouble…asking for money to be wired to them, or sent from a bank.
a solicitation received in the mail from a “real” sounding name, but a fake business so as to obtain
personal information. a sweepstakes win or a “free” item that requires a deposit or any other financial or personal
information.
To minimize the risk of identity and financial theft you can:
Shred any personal documents before disposing of them
Keep your social security card at home and in a safe place (not in your wallet which could be stolen or misplaced)
Minimize the number of credit cards you have, and keep accurate records of them, and the customer service number for each of them so you can easily contact the issuers if needed (An easy way to do this is to lay everything on a copier at once and copy each side of all the cards)
Take advantage of the Federal Credit Reporting Act, and check your own credit for free annually so as to be sure the information in the database is accurate, and there hasn’t been some unusual activity by a fictitious you!
Consider automatic bill pay for regular ongoing monthly bills (this can minimize the chance of mail theft, when check numbers can be stolen)
Use a professional bookkeeping service (properly vetted) to pay bills, and take care of your financial arrangements
This information was written for the benefit of IB customers. Visit our ONLINE STORE at
www.independentblessing.com for more free information or to purchase our senior monitor system, and other adaptive technology products. Call 781-400-5805 for assistance. WW
