Once a week, I get a call or text from a family member concerned about their loved ones, and most often there is a financial component. A new boyfriend or girlfriend, a large withdrawal at the bank, or a report of a hack on their computer. Unfortunately, if there is a new person that has spent months building a relationship with your loved one and they don’t trust your logical pleas to consider that they have never met or seen even seen them on a video call. Just got LOTS of pictures.
This person has filled a void in your loved ones life for socialization they crave. I even had one person tell me it was worth 10% of their annual income to have someone take an interest in their lives. All of us need social interaction, even us introverts.
The business I started, MemoryBanc that came from my own concerns for my parents daily financial needs, is opening up a new office in Minnesota. My husband grew up in the Twin Cities, my in-laws are still living there in managing in their 80’s, and now both of my adult children call it home. We are happy to get more time together as a family.
Recently, the story of how a shipping company saved a solo senior from being scammed out of $30k hit the news: Minnesota shipping company worker’s quick thinking saves woman from $30K scam
It just reminded me of how devasting isolation can be for our loved ones. I am hopeful this will have you consider ways to help minimize the risk of scammers worming their way into the lives of those feeling lonely. Several of the families we work with, have done a variety of things to help combat and protect their loved ones from these risks and include:
- Connecting them with a local village that offers both social engagement and co-op like supports for helping with mail pickup and trash management when on vacation or recovering from an illness. It offers many opportunities to make new friends and learn new or join a book or language club. You can use this website to find the local villages in your area.
- Finding local resources through their city or county Community Centers. Many communities have gyms, and programming and classes to engage all ages. Any opportunities to get out engage with others enhances happiness and will make the need for engaging on their phones with strangers less likely.
- Hiring a Daily Money Manager. We often get called in to come help and support bill pay. We sit hip-to-hip with our clients are provide social engagement, support their autonomy and can help them simplify their bill pay and home management needs when often these tasks can feel overwhelming. You can find a local Daily Money Manager her on the website for American Association of Daily Money Managers.
Most of us have heard the saying “It takes a village to raise a child” but I believe it take a village to raise our children and supporting our aging loved ones. Engagement and purpose and meaning are important to our well being, especially after we leave the workforce or leave our volunteer activities as we are getting older. Is there a way to coordinate with your loved ones to help them find ways to stay engaged with others as they age? #Encouraged and #Hopeful