Protecting seniors

Everybody knows to financially plan ahead for their retirement. But once they get to retirement age, they should continue to plan ahead, in order to avoid being taken, members of the Mat-Su Borough Senior Advisory Board warn.

Later in life, people become more vulnerable to unscrupulous plans, some of which can exhaust life savings. Often, it is too late to do anything about it.

"There are a lot of seniors out there who don't even know things like this are happening, and they do go on," said Ruby Church, a member of the borough's senior advisory board. "Some people prey on seniors, and that isn't right."

Dee Brown, another member of the senior advisory board, said that most care givers are looking out for the best interests of seniors. But not all of them, and that's where the problems lie.

"They build the trust with the senior by getting really friendly -- doing their laundry, washing their dishes and that kind of stuff -- and then they use that to their benefit," Brown said. "It's really pathetic because a senior who needs a personal care giver is bound to listen to them and lean on them for support, and they don't even know what is going on."

Neither do other seniors.

"I didn't even realize some of this was going on until I talked to some of the other people on the senior advisory board," said Don Anderson. "We need to get the word out that seniors should protect themselves before it is too late."

In some of the bigger cases of wrongdoing, care givers have gone through seniors' personal effects and given power of attorney by the seniors who really were in no condition to be granting power of attorney.

Under the guise of being an "old friend," some care givers have even used keys to seniors' homes to obtain confidential information.

"They know the rules of what they can say and what they can't, and they get to that point of almost crossing the line," Church said. "It's really sad, but we are seeing it more and more."

It should be stressed that unscrupulous care givers are the exception, rather than the norm. Most are caring people who have the best interests of seniors in mind, and who work toward that goal.

"There is a certification through the state," explained Kathy Ashmore-Roberts, a care coordinator at the Palmer Senior Center. "What we do is help people get services in their home so they don't have to go into a nursing home."

Although there are no specific guidelines to be certified, there are some standards that have to be met, such as experience and educational backgrounds. Many times, Ashmore-Roberts said, the only problems experienced with the care givers and the seniors are misunderstandings or personality conflicts.

"[Seniors] always have the opportunity to change care coordinators or to report any abuses they may be experiencing," Ashmore-Roberts said. "There are a lot of ways the elderly and frail can be abused, and we need to know about it if it is going on."

Ashmore-Roberts said anybody can be referred as a care coordinator, but then assessments are made after visits with the person.

"We meet with the seniors and their primary care givers to make sure everything is going well," Ashmore-Roberts said.

The senior advisory board recommends seniors plan ahead, even later in life. By lining up their care before they need it, seniors can take one step toward protecting themselves.

"We need to get help while we are well, before we need it and then can't make the best decision," Church said.

That can mean giving power of attorney to someone they trust and know well, as well as making a personal inventory of their belongings and assets.

Letting friends and other people know who should and should not be going through their house should they fall ill is another good idea for seniors, Brown said.

The senior advisory board is having a guest speaker from Adult Protective Services at its next meeting, which is scheduled for May 20 at the Willow Community Center.

For more information about the event, interested people may call 376-5763.