 More than half of the nation’s households are now
headed by someone at least 50 years of age. These 65 million older households are highly diverse in their living situations, financial resources, health and functional abilities, and life stages, and thus require different types of housing to meet their needs and preferences. Affordable, accessible housing located in age-friendly communities and linked to health supports is in particularly short supply. Demand for these units will only increase when the baby boomers start to turn 80 in less than a decade. And whether they own or rent, millions of older households struggle to pay for their housing and other basic necessities, and their numbers are rising. Households now in their 50s to mid-60s are especially at risk of having insufficient resources to manage rising healthcare and housing costs in their later years.
The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies published this report as a supplement to the State of the Nation's Housing Report. This paper discusses these and other issues around housing for older Americans. Read the full report here.
 Heart for the Holidays:
AARP Mix and Mingle
Join AARP as we enjoy an evening of dancing with a purpose. The cost of admission is $5 plus a winter item for a homeless veteran. Suggested items include: socks, hats, gloves and wet wipes.
The dance will be on Saturday, December 8, 2018 from 8pm to 11pm at the Louisville Water Tower. The address is 3005 River Road.
To purchase tickets, visit: https://aarp.cvent.com/kymixandmingle
 BBB CONSUMER TIPS:
Would you recognize the signs of a senior scam?
Why are senior citizens targeted by scam artists and what can be done to protect them? Some studies show that fraud susceptibility declines with age; however, those same studies show that older scam victims typically report higher monetary losses. This is likely due to the types of scams aimed at older Americans and their access to greater financial resources.
Seniors typically have built their nest egg, own their home and have better credit for the scammers to tap into. Senior citizens, as a generation, were raised to be polite and trusting of others. These are normally two positive and important personality traits; except when dealing with con artists.
Unfortunately, scam artists know that older Americans are less likely to report fraud than many other victims.
Why?
They don’t know who to report it to.
They are too ashamed to admit they fell for a scam.
They may not realize that they have been scammed. The realization that a scam has occurred could take weeks or even months, after contact, to materialize.
They are too concerned with how relatives will perceive their ability to handle their own affairs.
Seniors are more likely to be interested in products offering increased cognitive functions, virility, physical conditioning and medicinal properties, so they are constantly bombarded with free trial offers via mail, phone, television and online. Door to door schemes are also popular among seniors because they have a much greater likelihood of being home during the day. We see reports of schemes involving magazine sales, home repair, landscaping, water treatment/analyzing and alarm sales. Remember, you control who you allow into your home, so don’t engage unexpected solicitors.
Some phone fraud basics you should keep in mind are, it’s the FBI, IRS or Department of Treasury (No, it’s really not); it’s your bank, Medicare or Social Security (Nope, not them either); or you’ve won (No, you really didn’t, especially if you are asked to pay). Caller ID is easily spoofed so don’t let the name or number displayed provide you with a false sense of security.
Here are some other warning signs:
“Free,” “low cost,” or “buy one, get one” claims.
You only pay postage or administrative fees.
Must be secured with a credit card or bank account.
High pressure to act now or the offer goes away.
One-hundred percent of your donation goes directly to the victims.
Request for unusual types of payment (MoneyGram, Western Union, gift cards).
Aggressive or threatening tones.
If you are a caregiver or family member that suspects that your loved one is being targeted by scam artists, here are some signs that you should look for.
Frequent visits from courier services
Numerous cheap prizes in the home (plastic cameras, clocks, radios, gold plated jewelry, vacation certificates, etc.)
Phone calls to/from Canada and/or Jamaica
Colorful mailings mentioning sweepstakes, lotteries and puzzle-solving contests
Questions about foreign financial transactions or processes
Checking or bank account statements showing foreign transaction fees and/or wire transfers
Wire transfer receipts laying around
Sudden inability to meet living expenses or suddenly needing to borrow money
A sudden reluctance to be away from home or having visitors
Social withdrawal, depression or anxiety
Unexpected secretiveness or defensiveness to any of the above-mentioned signs
If you find that your loved one has fallen victim to a scam artist, try to remain positive and supportive. Critical and judgmental reactions usually make the situation worse and cause the victim to further withdraw. Of course, you also know that the crooks won’t just go away, so take the necessary steps to protect the victim by documenting the occurrences with law enforcement and other agencies responsible for consumer protection.
The more research you do on scams, the more you realize that old scams never die, they just resurface to victimize a new generation. For more BBB consumer tips, visit BBB.org.
Come join the local Louisville TRIAD meeting to learn more about other safety concerns for older adults in the community and how to safeguard against them! Click on the logo below to learn more!
|
