Protecting Older Adults

Ensuring Safety, Dignity, and Respect

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I think we can agree that being prepared to take care of ourselves and assist our parents if necessary, as we and they age, would make aging well easier.

A couple of weeks ago, my bank sent an email to its customers reminding them that June 15th was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). A day that provides an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of the abuse and neglect of older adults. I’d never heard of it before.

The email suggested ways to protect ourselves and our parents as we age. The information wasn’t new, but it provided a valuable reminder, one I wanted to share again.

As older adults, we can take these steps to protect ourselves.

• Stay connected: Keep in touch with loved ones and remain engaged in the community to reduce any feelings of isolation and vulnerability that may arise.

• Plan for the challenges of aging: Be well-prepared by ensuring all documents are organized and up-to-date.

• Regularly review our finances: Learn who can assist us in managing our assets.

• Identify a trusted contact: Designate someone to provide an additional layer of protection - have our back, so to speak.

• Protect our personal information: Don't disclose Social Security, credit card, bank account numbers, or passwords over the phone or in an email.

I am a widow, but I am connected with family and friends both in person and online. I am currently updating my essential documents. My adult children are my trusted contacts, and I do not disclose any personal information publicly. I’ve been tricked more than once; lesson learned.

We can help protect our parents in their older years.

• Discuss financial matters, maintain open lines of communication, and explore creating a financial plan to manage their affairs.

  • Start slowly, and try to meet them where they are. It's essential not to be overly forceful with an idea they're not comfortable with.

  • Consider whether or not you’ll need to provide support for them as they age.

    If our parents are willing to share their financial situation, we can determine whether we’ll need to supplement their care and plan accordingly.

  • Update these three documents.

    • A Revocable Living Trust allows our parents to appoint a trustee who can manage the trust and its assets in the event of their incapacity.

    • A Power of Attorney (POA) enables our parents to appoint someone to act on their behalf regarding medical, financial, real estate, and business matters.

    • Advanced Directives, also known as living wills, are legally binding documents that enable our parents to express their preferences regarding medical interventions and end-of-life care.

  • Find out if they have long-term care insurance.

    According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a 65-year-old in 2025 has approximately a 70% chance of requiring some form of long-term care (LTC) in the future.

  • Alert your parents to scams.

    Discuss scams and phishing with them, share specific details and stories. Everyone needs to be aware of how they start and what they look like. Some scams are incredibly believable.

  • Report Suspicious Activity: If we suspect that our parents are being financially exploited, it's crucial to report it. We can contact local adult protective services, law enforcement, and financial institutions where they hold accounts.

My husband and I moved from the Midwest to the West Coast while our parents were alive, so we were not directly a part of their caregiving team. We didn’t have to support them financially, all legal documents were in order, and they didn’t use computers. However, as people are living longer and the world is becoming increasingly complex, this has become a more likely circumstance and a significant consideration.

I’d love for you to share the Aging Well Newsletter with others. I want to bring the lessons I’ve learned through my years of life and caregiving to as many people as possible. Above all, I want to continue expanding our community of readers.

So, please forward this email to a friend and invite them to join us. They can subscribe here:

If you’d like to support my work, consider donating to the Alzheimer's Association. This link takes you to their website. The choice is yours.

Janice Walton is a psychologist, a widow, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, and a writer. Her book Aging Well: 30 Lessons for Making the Most of Your Later Years is available on Amazon, and she has written articles for Substack for four years.