PART 2: The Pikes Peak Elder Abuse Coalition has been working to keep vulnerable adults safe for 15 years and that work continues during COVID19 times. Dayton Romero, Chair of the Coalition and Director of Senior Assistance Programs with Silver Key, discusses the extenuating circumstances and challenges being faced during COVID19. Fraud abounds with specific COVID scams and abuse is heightened as people lack support and have more stressors. Learn how the Coalition is meeting the needs.
Aging with Altitude is recorded in the Pikes Peak region with a focus on topics of aging interest across the country. We talk about both the everyday and novel needs and approaches to age with altitude whether you’re in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida or Leadville, Colorado. The Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is the producer. Learn more at Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging.
Transcript:
You’re listening to Studio 809. This is what community sounds like.
Cynthia Margiotta:
This is Aging with Altitude. Welcome to all. Brought to you by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging. We strive to provide answers assistance and advocacy to our elders. Please know that our guest today and I are sitting about 10 feet apart and we are practicing the social distance protocol, and I hope you are too. We are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and one of the issues is elder abuse and how it’s increasing. My guest today is Dayton Romero. He works for Silver Key, has been there since 2015. He’s responsible for overseeing the administration and operations of several programs there at Silver Key. These programs include case management, guardianship, behavioral health, food pantry, and commodity food programs. and the Silver Key’s different lines of services. We have been talking about abuse in the home, also called mistreatment. There are several kinds that people deal with and so we are going to continue that discussion here. My name is Cynthia Margiotta. I’m a geriatric social worker and a volunteer with the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, so let’s get started with our next question. When there’s financial exploitation, in particular, it’s done by an insider. That’s someone they know. A family member, relative, a loved one, a caregiver, someone. With the loss of income for many people, are families turning to their parents now for money?
Dayton Romero:
We have yet to anecdotally hear about those situations. I can say regardless of COVID, we see that too often already where there is a codependence among an adult child or another who’s actually living in the home with that senior who owns the home really kind of depending on that person too…
Cynthia Margiotta:
Support them.
Dayton Romero:
Support them. Yep, and you know it also could be, again, the codependence as well. We’ve seen it kind of one sided. One person moving in and really relying on the support of that person all the way to the point where an individual really reaches that level where they need a higher level of support. And I mean that in care support. Whether it be in need of assisted living or skilled nursing, we’ve seen kind of challenge decision making where people, if mom moves to a nursing home, what does that mean for me? And so it really compromises the health and safety of mom. Those are difficult situations to see, hear of, and be in for a lot of people. It’s prevalent. It happens, especially whenever we are talking about low-income families. With that, I think it’s important for adult children or the caregivers, relatives, whoever is in those homes and are in that position of financially exploiting. A lot of times there is self-justification in financial exploitation especially in those in-home arrangements of I’m going to the grocery store. I’m picking up all of these things and so I can pay myself this or buy me a little of that sort of thing. So that self-justification could really put everyone in a bad position, in a compromised position. I think it’s important that the caregiver have resources as well, so they are able to be preventative in being in those situations. I get in some it’s going to happen. There’s good intentions and bad intentions, but those especially we call, I forget who coined the term, but the accidental caregiver who started off by making runs to the grocery store for the person as a favor. Then really kind of find themselves a little bit deeper in helping medications, cleaning up the home, and then really being at the home, to the point of handling the debit card, run to the bank. And in those situations, I think it’s really important that they have the tools. The caregivers as well as the senior have the tools to really recognize where are those boundaries so they are able to kind of protect themselves and really refrain from being in that sort of position. I understand it’s a complex thing to navigate whenever you’re talking about anyone’s livelihood and safety, and even means of shelter. They’re complex situations, but we see it all too often where there’s and over dependence on the senior and they may be making, again, $1200 a month and they’re sharing that between two people. And it’s again, making sure both people have the resources so that they do have options. There’s options for seniors in terms of resources. There’s options for others in our community which we’re fortunate to have that can also provide supports for those individuals so those individuals who are so dependent, if they are given those resources maybe they are less likely to be so dependent on their mom, dad, or senior.
Cynthia Margiotta:
Right. So how can a senior decipher for themselves what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in the accidental care giver situation?
Dayton Romero:
Yeah so, I think it’s, there’s a combination so really whenever it comes to financial exploitation, sending debit cards with people really puts an individual at risk. It’s just essentially handing people money. And although again, starts with good intentions, there’s some self-justification of you know I could buy me this and that tends to escalate the more it happens, that cognitive dissonance going on. I think just keeping apprised of what are those protection measures of yourself, so not giving your debit card to people. Also being aware of what is your level of support needed. How dependent are you on that person to get around even because that could also be, I don’t want to exaggerate, but it can be weaponized. If you depend on a person as a means of transportation and getting out and getting around and that is your sole resource. That person has leverage or a way of keeping you socially isolated away from others or again, self-justifying in terms of I’m driving you everywhere and this sort of thing. So these are pieces to just kind of be aware of. Making sure where is your level of dependence and when is it a good idea to kind of get another party involved. I think checking signals with others around you is important as well. Really bouncing your circumstance and what’s going on with people who care about you and other supports around you to really kind of get a third lens to the situation. It’s so easy to get tunnel vision whenever you’re living it, breathing it, doing it. To get someone else’s take on what’s going on could be helpful and also a means of making sure those pathways, those other resources may be available for you as well.
Cynthia Margiotta:
So using the example you just brought up, let’s say child “Jane” is living with mom, and mom is depending on Jane to give her a ride everywhere and Jane says to mom, well I can’t give you a ride unless you pay to have my car fixed. That’s not mom’s total job. Maybe contributing some gas would be appropriate, but not paying for the transmission, right?
Dayton Romero:
Right, that’s exactly right.
Cynthia Margiotta:
That’s a good example. Yeah, yeah.
Dayton Romero:
And again, to that social isolation piece and relying on people for transportation and being connected in general. It’s very important to have a secondary resource. That dependence. Once you have all your eggs in one basket, it really makes for a tough situation and so really making sure that everyone has in terms of preventable measures, everyone has resources. Making sure should an arrangement naturally happen, then resources are very critical to have in that arrangement so that both parties whether it be respite for the caregiver to get away to do their thing, do some self-care, or even for the other person who’s being cared for, for them to have, you know…
Cynthia Margiotta:
Friends.
Dayton Romero:
Friends that could come pick them up, or even a delivery system through the grocery store or what have you. Just knowing how to navigate those pieces that help you maintain your independence is very critical because in situations where it becomes so dependent there are those situations where people can basically take you away from your support network and really kind of isolate you to the point where they’re the only person you’re talking with. That really could shape your world too, in terms of manipulation. Even in terms of financial exploitation, checking for signals and should you be accompanied your caregiver and you’re going to the bank and caregiver is talking for you, running the show with the bank teller, that’s a red flag. Luckily, we have some great financial institutions in our community who are on the lookout for those sort of things. In fact, we had our bank safe initiative through AARP here in Colorado Springs. We were a pilot, a pilot state. Colorado was for bank safe AARP where we were training. There was an initiative for training front line bank staff on how to recognize any signs of financial exploitation that could happen. So we’re fortunate to have that in place. As far as the senior checking in for themselves, if they do notice that caregiver is accompanying them more and more to the bank and speaking on their behalf more and more. Those are times to really advocate for oneself and if that person does not have any sort of financial power of attorney or any of these other pieces, they should have no dealings with your financials unless you have given that permission.
Cynthia Margiotta:
Right. My bank took that bank safe program and I’ve talked with them about that on numerous occasions. It’s a great program, helps them to be more aware. This is our bank tellers, that’s not their focus, that kind of situation. So for them to be more aware of those possibilities is great. It’s broadening their horizons as well as helping our seniors in our community so power to that program. I didn’t realize it was through AARP. Yay AARP. So to change the subject a little, one of the things that’s happening now is the scammers. The phone scammers. So stranger scammers are preying on the isolation and loneliness of older adults even more now. Can you share some tips to prevent these scams?
Dayton Romero:
Yes, absolutely. Again, you see there just within that line, social isolation is such a big risk factor for situations like this of being taken advantage of and so on. We’re at a point in light of the situation while we’re all at home, and staying in the home for long periods of time, a phone call would be nice. Hearing someone, talking to someone, but with that, that is being taken advantage of by scammers. Sometimes it may be by like a robocall. Some scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from coronavirus treatments to work at home schemes. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it might lead to more robocalls. There’s a lot of kind of clever scams going on right now, unfortunately. It’s really protecting yourself like fact checking information. If a scammer calls in, I always encourage skepticism and asking more questions and trusting your instinct. If there are those pieces where someone is pushy about selling you something regarding the coronavirus, or even the stimulus check that’s going on, is another sort of arrangement that could easily be taken advantage of. Someone could call and claim that they are the government and they need you bank account information so they could deposit your check. That is not happening right now. The government is not reaching out and telling you these things or asking these things. Really just being aware and connected to information and also just the normal practices around not clicking on sources you don’t know. Also, you know, being aware in terms of, I think another one that I’d heard of was around vaccinations, and there is no vaccination. And so those scammers that get you to buy products that aren’t proven to treat or prevent the coronavirus, sometimes online or over the phone. The overall awareness of there being no FDA authorized home test kits or coronavirus vaccinations is very essential. I would encourage people to do their homework when it comes to the coronavirus. Although watching the news too much could be a little detrimental in some cases so I would generally suggest that people keep apprised through experts like the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. They have some excellent information posted online. They’re continuously updating their information and data and keeping up with the continuous changes. Lastly, I think donations. I think doing homework on donations. There may be outreach around, you know, this country is very poor. They can’t afford test kits, so we need your money in order to make that happen. I’m sure that may be the case and I’m sure that’s happening somewhere, but really doing your homework in those initiatives that are outreaching to you and asking for your bank account information for that stuff because, yeah. Knowing who you are donating to, not letting anyone rush you into making a donation and know that if someone wants donations in cash, by gift card or by wiring money. Those are some indicators that it may be a scam.
Cynthia Margiotta: 19:00
Yes, I think that I have been contacted and I hope it’s because I’m interested in geriatrics and not because of my age, but I think, oh maybe 10 or 15 times being told that my social security is going to be cut off, my bank is closing and I need to transfer it to another bank, they’re going to come and arrest me. I mean it’s almost weekly so I choose to believe it’s because I’m involved in those geriatric things and they think I must be over 65. I’m going to believe that for a few more years. So you’re right. We need to stay away. Anybody asking for any personal information at all, it should be the biggest red flag I ever saw. And wave your little white flag and say well I’ll call my financial institution. I’ll call my mortgage company. Thank you for the call, goodbye. End of it.
Dayton Romero:
That’s exactly right. And also bouncing situations, not only is relying on your support networks applicable for the financial exploitation and prevention of that, and also even caregiver neglect and these other pieces, but also for vulnerability for scams. So relying on your support network and say you know, calling up your friend, have you guys received this same phone call. I received a phone call that’s asking for my bank account information so they could get that stimulus check that everyone is talking about in my bank account. Did you guys ever receive anything like this and really kind of having that dialogue because again, these scammers. They have scripts. They are very manipulative and are very intentional on who they’re targeting. Protecting yourself by being aware, staying connected, doing your homework, and leaning on your support networks are good examples of just protecting yourself.
Cynthia Margiotta:
Right, right. So there is no preventative. There’s no way to cure it.
Dayton Romero:
As of now, no.
Cynthia Margiotta:
OK, everybody hear that? There’s not a cure. There are protections. You know, I’ve got my little, my homemade mask on that I made. Little protections, but there is no cure.
Dayton Romero:
Right. And again, I am not a health expert so I would suggest that everyone looks and uses the valuable resources that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization put out. They speak on things from coping and dealing with stress as a result of everything going on. They have some excellent resources for that. They also have some excellent resources in terms of keeping you up to date on what’s going on whether that be a vaccination or other safety precautions that they are recommending like the social distancing, like the masks, like the hand washing and these other pieces are critical to kind of keeping everyone safe. Those are the two go-to’s for me at least. I tend to share that information among my staff and some clients as well who are looking to get some information. I would just google World Heath Organization or CDC. They have made it very accessible, and readable too. A lot of the information I’ve seen is not medical jargon or these complex research articles or anything like this. It’s plain, simple writing on keeping us informed on what’s going on. Easy to understand so that we all can respond appropriately and put some different measures in place that we need to for our own safety and others around us.
Cynthia Margiotta:
I’ve been getting CDC newsletter for years. I actually love it. It is in English. We can understand it rather than big ole jargon stuff, so thank you. My last question would be how can we protect our parents or grandparents when they’re ones that are the most vulnerable? The coronavirus, they are saying they are very vulnerable. I know that young people are as well into the grocery store, young people are not wearing the mask as frequently gives me heart failure to be honest with you. I sort of look at them and say, “don’t you care about anybody besides what’s going on?” I stay out of it. So how can we as young people protect our parents and grandparents?
Dayton Romero:
I think we can assist in many ways. Primarily by developing safe communication pathways so keeping connected, checking in with our parents or our grandparents, great-grandparents. Those phone calls, as simple as it may sound, are valuable. They’re a big deal and in an event like this, it’s essential that, especially our seniors are connected. Whether it be a five-minute phone call or an hour phone call where you find out 50 minutes in, oh, you don’t have food. And so from there, facilitating those sort of arrangements whether you’re going to pick up groceries for them or arranging for a delivery of food over there, signing mom up for a program like Calls of Reassurance. Really just ensuring that mom, dad, grandma, grandpa have those resources and if they need some support in navigating those resources, being there, being available to help facilitate that is really, really helpful. And we’re talking about information as well. You know, some may not be as savvy as others in terms of jumping on google and typing in WHO and doing these things, navigating these websites. So even just simple, communicating what’s going on as well. You’re a trusted person, ideally and if you’re really well intentioned and wanting to support, making sure that they’re getting accurate and concise information, digestible information. I think everyone is kind of on information overload right now from all channels, but really being able to get to those points of this is what’s happening. This is where we’re at. This is what we need to do sort of thing, really breaking it down in a digestible way and not a way where we’re stoking the fire essentially because like we mentioned at the very beginning, stress levels are high. People are on edge. Things are uncertain right now, and so as long as we are able to lean on one another, especially our seniors and supporting them, we’re able to give them that accurate, digestible information. Let them know where we’re at and then be there as a communication path. And then also be there as a facilitator if needed. I think those are three primary ways we can make sure they’re heard, they’re supported, and they’re apprised right now in this uncertain time.
Cynthia Margiotta:
Yeah, yeah. Maybe we can even share with our elders when somebody’s called us and tried to scam us, and even turn it around and say well this is what happened to me. Have you had any of those to try and encourage them to share and then they feel more comfortable because I think it happens to everyone. The scammers are calling everybody.
Dayton Romero:
You’re absolutely right. And I think that just mentioning that it is a reality right now. That people, scammers and such are taking advantage of the situation and it’s unfortunate, but it is a reality. And so giving those tips that we’ve talked about I think also could be a means of giving the tools to seniors to protect themselves. Do your homework, be apprised, keep connected with me. Let’s have those conversations. What kind of phone calls your getting that just didn’t quite feel right? Or what’s going on inside the home with your new caregiver, let’s say? Tell me a little bit more about that arrangement and how things are going with that. Asking questions, open ended questions and giving them the opportunity to communicate. Like you said, encourage them that they can share what’s going on and you as the support and the senior are kind of in it together to make sure that everyone is protected and safe.
Cynthia Margiotta:
Yeah, yeah. So with that, is ther anything else that you wanted to share that we haven’t covered?
Dayton Romero:
You know, I’m all about the resources. We’ve shared the CDC and the Center on Disease Controls and the World Health Organization. In terms of specifically elder abuse victims during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is some work being done by the National Center on Elder Abuse and some other organizations. There’s the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as well. Be on the lookout for our statewide coalition, the Colorado Coalition for Elder Rights and Abuse Prevention. All of those places, all of those entities are putting out information as it relates to elder abuse, so their prime focus is on elder abuse. And the National Center on Elder Abuse actually just put out a powerpoint highlighting some of the varying things that are going on right now as a result of the pandemic and how it relates to elder abuse. So there are resources. Again, the CDC, World Health Organization, National Center on Elder Abuse, and the Colorado Coalition for Elder Rights and Abuse Prevention. And then our local chapter here, the Pikes Peak Elder Abuse Coalition are all working on putting information out so people are able to know what are those trends in elder abuse that are taking place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cynthia Margiotta:
Well, thank you so much. I do want to reiterate Silver Key’s phone number, the Calls of Reassurance number. Please call if you’re either interested in having someone call you one to three times a week, is what you said. Or if you’ve got some spare time where you can give time to making those calls. So that phone number again is 719-884-2300 and it’s called Calls of Reassurance. I think that can kill a lot of birds with one stone if you know, you’re looking at it that way. For an extrovert like me I think it would be great to make those calls. So thank you very much. I appreciate your time, Dayton. This has been great. That’s the show and thanks to all of you for being with us today. Stay safe. Stay well. And stay home. Until next time, take good care of yourself. Thank you very much.
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