One estimate says that two-thirds of seniors have been either victimized or targeted by online scammers. As we mentioned yesterday, about 97 percent of seniors currently use social media at least once a week to connect with their family. And because so much time is spent online, the likelihood that scammers, hackers, or others with bad intentions are going to try and swindle an elderly individual go way up. Cyber security has become a pressing need for the elderly.
Those of us who have grown up around technology and are familiar with it and the risk that are inherent to it know to look out for fake emails and run malware protection software on our devices. Those that are newer to using a computer or another device might not have that same level of expertise and not know how to protect themselves. The same survey cited above revealed that about 41 percent of seniors do their banking online, 26 percent pay bills online, and 21 percent file their taxes online. All of these things only increase the likelihood of being exposed to a scam or being taken advantage of. While the web has proven to be a huge blessing to families because of the connectedness that it brings, these pitfalls need to be addressed in order to keep ourselves safe. If you haven’t spoken to your mom or dad about this yet, now is a good time to do so. Let them know what the common scams are and how they can stay safe.
We have discussed the importance of having a great senior care service on your side several times in the past. While an in-home care specialist cannot eliminate all of the risk that a loved one will face online, a compassionate and loving caregiver can do a lot to help protect your family. When your caregiver is obtained through a service where they are an employee, the vetting process for that person is typically much more thorough. Think about it like this: anyone can put an ad online and claim to be a caregiver. Now, most people that do so are legitimate caregivers. But how can you be certain about this? When you work with an in-home care service that conducts background and criminal checks on their employees, provides them with thorough training, and then insures and bonds their employees, your chances of having a bad or dishonest caregiver are almost zero. This really goes a long way toward ensuring that your mom or dad receives the best care possible and reduces their chances of being taken advantage of, too.
Social media can be helpful in keeping families connected.
You go above and beyond to ensure that your loved one is well cared for. This needs to extend beyond their physical and emotional needs, and the heavy usage of computers and social media creates another area where attention is needed. Talk to them today about how they can stay safe online as well as in their home. The few minutes it takes could be very helpful.
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