Funeral scams are becoming an increasingly common problem and assisted living communities in Chalmette, LA is no exception. For residents who don’t have their room and a personal care team, the risk of falling victim to one of these schemes is greater than for other groups. Assisted living communities must protect their residents from this growing threat by educating them on how to avoid being scammed when making arrangements for their loved one’s final services. Here are some ways assisted living communities can protect residents from them.
Educate Staff
Assisted living communities to need to train their caregivers to recognize and prevent elder abuse, including funeral scams. This can be done through workshops or seminars offered by local or state agencies, which may offer additional resources for residents and their families. Additionally, many state attorney generals’ offices have programs specifically geared toward protecting aging adults from financial fraud schemes like funeral scams.
Educate Residents
One of the best ways assisted living communities can protect residents from funeral scams is by educating them. The more you know about what’s happening, the better prepared you’ll be to avoid being taken advantage of. Assisted living communities should provide regular seminars on recognizing and reporting fraudulent activity and make it easy for residents to contact staff members if they suspect something is amiss. This can be done in several ways, including:
- Talking with them about the different types of scams and how they work. For example, some scammers may say they are from the IRS or an attorney’s office and ask for personal information over the phone. If you know this is not true, then it will be easier to spot potential scams when they happen and report them immediately!
- Sharing stories about other victims of similar schemes so that your resident understands how serious these crimes are (and what could happen if one were committed against them).
Educate Family Members
Another way you can help protect your loved one is by educating family members. You should educate them on the resident’s wishes, financial situation, and medical history. You should also discuss funeral preferences with them so that they know how to handle any issues that arise in case of death.
Communal Mailboxes Are A Good Thing
A communal mailbox is a good thing. Residents in assisted living communities often have very little contact with the outside world; they may not even know where their family members are. Communal mailboxes allow them to receive letters from loved ones without having to call or visit each other’s rooms-something that could be difficult for some residents with mobility issues or don’t want visitors coming into their space unannounced. This way, everyone gets what they need without feeling overwhelmed by visits or phone calls (or worse yet: forgotten).
Develop Strong Relationships In The Community
One of the best ways for assisted living communities to protect residents from funeral scams is by building strong relationships in the community. By getting to know their neighbors and establishing trust, assisted living communities can help prevent scammers from targeting their residents.
To build these relationships, it’s important for team members in senior-friendly independent living communities to spend time outside of work hours building connections with people who live nearby. This can include attending community events or volunteering at local organizations like churches or schools (if they allow it). It’s also important for team members not just rely on word-of-mouth- they should also use technology such as Facebook or Instagram posts to stay connected with other members of their communities!
Offer Advance Planning Services To Residents
Planning services, also known as advance directives or living wills, are crucial to protecting residents from funeral scams. The documents allow people to state their wishes for end-of-life care and specify who they want to make medical decisions on their behalf if they become incapacitated. This can include choosing an alternate decision-maker in case you cannot communicate your wishes.
Although planning services aren’t typically available at assisted living facilities (ALFs), these documents must be accessible to everyone-especially older adults who may not have them readily available in their homes or wallets. ALFs should help create these documents onsite so that residents don’t have difficulty accessing them when needed, most-such as after suffering from an injury or illness requiring hospitalization.
Conclusion
If you’re an assisted living community, there are many ways that you can help protect your residents from funeral scams. By educating staff and residents about these scams and developing strong relationships within the community, you can prevent anyone from falling victim to them.
