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How to Avoid Financial Exploitation in Seniors

Donna Nichols • March 3, 2023

I have written a blog on this topic before, but think it is extremely important and keeps coming to light. We must protect our elderly from the scammers out there!!!


What is financial exploitation in seniors? This occurs when people try to take the seniors money or assets. They know every trick in the book and will pull them to get whatever they can from the senior. Seniors are the most vulnerable because they have a lot of time on their hands and are generally very trusting. When a senior is online searching for things, they sometimes they don’t know they clicked on a potentially harmful link, (this happens to all of us), but they are more vulnerable because they sometimes click without thinking. Something may look enticing and they click on it and BOOM they clicked on a scammers link.


Online isn’t the only way these scammers can get your information, they can get it through phone calls, any receipts or bank statements you have lying around, or a credit card. Make sure all these things are put away when someone comes to your house. If you have a caregiver, lock these things up where the caregiver does not have access. Most caregivers are trustworthy, but situations can take a change and you never know someone’s circumstances.


The first thing a senior needs is a financial advisor or an advocate, someone trustworthy who will look out for them. Make sure you know this person well and can trust them with everything. If you are mentally able, go over everything with your advocate and know where all your money and assets are.


Get a copy of your credit report at least once a year and go through it thoroughly to ensure everything is up-to-date and correct. Make sure no new accounts have been opened or the balance on your credit cards haven’t gone up instead of down. Also, check your report to ensure your credit score hasn’t dropped and there have been no new inquiries against your social security number.


Shred any bank statements, receipts, and expired credit cards; anything with your pertinent information on it. You know how we all get those unwanted credit card offers? Make sure you shred those too. There may not be enough information on them for a hacker, but why chance it. Shredders are not too expensive and can save you a lot of headaches down the road.


The IRS and Social Security will NOT call you and ask for your social security number!! Do NOT give this number out to ANYONE over the phone!!! Do NOT give your bank information out to ANYONE over the telephone. There shouldn’t be anyone calling you and asking for any kind of personal information whatsoever. Do NOT give out this information!!


You may be like me or a million other people and play sweepstakes or lotto online, but if you get an email or phone call saying you won but have you pay them so much money to claim your winnings, DON’T pay it!! This is a scam!!! Once they have your information, they will take all the money you have and not only did you not win the lotto, you also lost every penny you worked so hard for.


Should you need to hire someone to do work for you, check their references and NEVER pay them in advance! Also, pay them with a check if possible. If you must pay with cash, make sure you get a receipt and make sure the receipt has what the money was for and any terms and conditions.

NEVER sign any agreement you don’t understand, feel pressured into, or are uncomfortable with. It’s okay to say no and request to have someone else read and explain the document to you. If the person asking you to sign the document isn’t agreeable to this, it is more than likely a scam. Trust your instincts, if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.



Lastly, if you feel you have been exploited, or feel someone is trying to take control of your money, please reach out to Adult Protective Services. You can file a complaint online at myflfamilies.com/services/abuse/adult-protective-services or call them at 1-800-962-2873, option 2.

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
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Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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