Elder E-Letter December 2015 'Tis the Season for Scams The end of the year seems to always bring the scammers out of the woodwork. Maybe because it'

         

Elder E-Letter December 2015

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'Tis the Season for Scams

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The end of the year seems to always bring the scammers out of the woodwork. Maybe because it's the holiday season, they feel the pressure to increase their bottom line as well.

A new AARP Fraud Watch Network survey found nearly 70 percent of consumers failed a quiz about common holiday scams and how to avoid them, suggesting consumers remain highly vulnerable. The brief quiz is related to charitable giving, gift cards, package deliveries, and use of public Wi-Fi.

"While most of us focus on family and friends during the holidays, fraudsters are zeroing in on our wallets and bank accounts," said AARP Illinois Communications Manager Gerardo Cardenas. "We're encouraging consumers to elevate their awareness of some emerging and frequent scams, and to also share the information with their families to help keep them safe this holiday season."

Here are a few of the scams that seemed to trip up the consumers taking the quiz.

Gifts for the Elderly

Gifts for elderly

To make your shopping a little easier this holiday season, we've put together a list of fun and practical items for older adults. For your convenience, the gifts are organized by price, including some inexpensive ideas for crafters or kids to make.

Cost: about $11

Grandparent Talk uses a deck of question cards to stimulate social interaction and spontaneous discussion between grandparents and the youngsters who don't necessarily recognize the store of knowledge their grandparents hold (and often don't know how to ask the right questions to start a conversation with them). Grandparent Talk is the perfect door-opener to build a bridge between generations. Carefully chosen questions—such as, "Have you ever faced a bully?"—are displayed on the collection of cards in the game deck.

Another deck in this series is Family Talk, which encourages the kind of old-fashioned, around-the-kitchen-table banter families use to have in the evenings before TV, computers, and texting scattered the generations in different directions.

Click here to order.

Read more ideas for gifts for the elderly.

LifeBio.com—Memory Journal

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Over 250 carefully-crafted biography questions in a beautiful hardcover 6 x 9 inch book with book jacket. The book, without jacket, is brown with "Memory Journal" in gold lettering.
All questions match LifeBio.com's online template for easy transfer from the journal to the computer someday (if you wish).
Perfect for the person who would rather write than type (or for people without a computer). Great for visiting and interviewing a loved one too! Wonderful tool to take to a reunion.
Each page includes two questions with lines provided for writing in answers.
The LifeBio Memory Journal also works well as a first draft. Ideas from the LifeBio Memory Journal can be transferred to an online LifeBio and, finally, into the LifeBio Book.
Quantity discounts available. If you order more than 1, the price will automatically be discounted.

Order here.

Happenings

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Nov 11 Happy Veterans Day. The Law Offices of Carol Bertsch thanked all veterans for their service.

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Nov 11 Carol discussed end-of-life issues at New Creation Christian Fellowship church.

Nov 13 Carol discussed documents caregivers should put in place for their loved ones at the 2015 Caregiver Summit: Facing the Challenge.

Nov 26 & 27 The Law Offices of Carol Bertsch observed Thanksgiving.

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Coming Up

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Happy New Year

Senior of the Month: Madeline Scotto

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A 100-year-old math teacher is still working at the school she attended as a child. Madeline
Scotto, of Brooklyn, New York, remains dedicated to her students at St. Ephrem's elementary school - where she was part of the first graduating class in 1928. Madeline Scotto works three days a week as a math coach at St. Ephrem's elementary school in Brooklyn, New York.

Mrs Scotto says 'retire' is a 'bad word.' 'I don't ever want to hear that word,' 'Some people like what they're doing, but I have a passion for what I'm doing, and when you have a passion for something, you never give up.'

Read more.

We'd Love to Hear from You

We want our newsletter to be informative. If there is a topic you'd like us to address, please email jhudspeth@assistingseniors.com and let us know.

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