Senior Fraud Hits Home

By Steven Mattingly

We all hear about and read about fraud committed against seniors and it’s exactly that, something that we hear and read about.  Most of us pay little heed to the discussion most of the time. Even though I work with seniors each and every day like most of us I tuned out the various commercials and internet pop ups thinking them little more that auditory and visual pollution.

I have changed my nonchalant attitude rather quickly in the past couple of weeks when our community was called upon to assist one of our own residents fight an ongoing case of identity theft and financial fraud.   A former business acquaintance of the resident had gathered enough information ranging from bank statements that were altered to included additional names, copies of a state issued ID, and other personal information.  This individual was using the information to represent herself as the caretaker of the resident and was attempting to lease an expensive home in the bay area in the resident’s name. 

The good news is that an alert property manager for the potential rental property sensed something out of the ordinary and reached out to our community for help.  Because of privacy laws we do not respond to questions asking if a resident or staff member is part of the community.  Our standard response is that we cannot confirm or deny that information.  Fortunately in this situation the property manager was persistent and a manager on staff made the appropriate decision to cooperate once she learned a bit more about the nature of the inquiry. 

With cooperation from our community, the resident affected, and the property manager, the police with jurisdiction over the case set up a “sting” operation to apprehend the individual.  It was somewhat surreal.  It was like being involved in a scene from “Law and Order”.  The good news is that the sting worked, the individual attempting the fraud was apprehended and will be prosecuted.  The bad news is that our resident has to do the leg work to restore her good credit status with the various with the credit bureaus, no small feat, but she is determined to put things right.

There are numerous sources where you can get information about how to prevent senior financial fraud.  Most of it is simply good common sense.   Here are some suggestions you might want to consider:

·        Identity thieves love aging parents because they think they are so vulnerable. Social isolation, loss of a spouse, early dementia, general memory loss or confusion set up our elders and aging parents an easy mark. Add to that, seniors tend to be friendly and trusting, and you have a combination that can make your aging parent a sitting duck.

·        How can we help them protect themselves?    We need to educate our aging parents that trusting strangers on the phone is very dangerous. We need to warn our aging parents that even their own children can rip them off if they are desperate. Drug and alcohol abuse, serious financial trouble and mental illness can lead an adult child to steal account numbers when visiting and later raid his own parents' bank account and steal from the ones most likely to trust him or her.    Can we thwart the attempts at stealing our aging parents' identities? We can at least take protective measures. Some of the simplest protections are the best.

·        First, buy a cross-cut shredder. Shred or have your aging parents shred sensitive mail, credit card solicitations, and outdated personal documents such as bank statements, rather than throwing them in the trash. Thieves go through the trash looking for anything they can use to steal.

·        Guard credit cards. Watch sales people, staff in restaurants, and anyone who asks for your credit card. Thieves use tiny scanning devices called skimmers to steal the numbers and then use the cards. Get rid of any rarely used or unused cards. The fewer your parent has, the better.

·        Mail letters at a mail box or the post office, rather than leaving outgoing mail in the mail box in front of the home. Thieves steal checks and payments slips, taking the information and using it to attempt to steal the entire identity. They take out new credit cards in the victim's name and rob them of everything they can.

·        One should never, ever give out personal information or financial account information over the telephone. Telephone solicitors offer prizes and rewards to trick the person into telling the solicitor his bank account number, social security number, and mother's maiden name. With that, the thief can wipe out a bank account in minutes.

·        Don't let anyone copy your aging parents' driver's license. Anyone doing this can get access to bank accounts, personal data, and anything else you would want to protect. Getting the license number to verify a check is one thing. Letting someone take the entire license and have the other information on it is rarely necessary.

Senior identity theft and fraud are crimes perpetrated by individuals who see seniors as easy prey.  It is estimated that 1 in 7 seniors at some point is a victim of fraud.  You’ve been warned!

As a footnote to this recent incident, the resident involved has just gotten her fourth “check” from the Nigerian Lottery, all she needs to do to cash the check is call a listed number.  Our wise and cautious resident has given this information to the police. 

Contributing author Steven Mattingly is the Executive Director of Pacifica Senior Living in San Leandro, CA.

Exercise for Seniors

There is a fountain of youth: Millions have discovered it - the secret to feeling better and living longer. It's called staying active. Finding a program that works for you and sticking with it can pay big dividends. Regular exercise can prevent or delay diabetes and heart trouble. It can also reduce arthritis pain, anxiety and depression. It can help older people stay independent.

There are four main types of exercise and seniors need some of each:

• Endurance activities - like walking, swimming, or riding a bike - which build "staying power" and improve the health of the heart and circulatory system 
• Strengthening exercises which build muscle tissue and reduce age-related muscle loss 
• Stretching exercises to keep the body limber and flexible 
• Balance exercises to reduce the chances of a fall

It is safe for most adults older than 65 years of age to exercise. Even patients who have chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis can exercise safely. Many of these conditions are improved with exercise. If you are not sure if exercise is safe for you or if you are currently inactive, ask your doctor.

It is important to wear loose, comfortable clothing and well-fitting, sturdy shoes. Your shoes should have a good arch support, and an elevated and cushioned heel to absorb shock.

If you are not already active, begin slowly. Start with exercises that you are already comfortable doing. Starting slowly makes it less likely that you will injure yourself. Starting slowly also helps prevent soreness. The saying "no pain, no gain" is not true for older or elderly adults. You do not have to exercise at a high intensity to get most health benefits.For example, walking is an excellent activity to start with. As you become used to exercising, or if you are already active, you can slowly increase the intensity of your exercise program.

If your muscles or joints are sore the day after exercising, you may have done too much. Next time, exercise at a lower intensity. If the pain or discomfort persists, you should talk to your doctor. You should also talk to your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms while exercising:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Trouble breathing or excessive shortness of breath
• Light-headedness or dizziness
• Difficulty with balance
• Nausea

Sources: NIH: National Institute on Aging, FamilyDoctor.org

Musings On Wine and Getting Old

This past weekend I went to a 40^th anniversary party for Cakebread Cellars, one of my favorite wineries in the Napa Valley.  It was a wonderful event with great wines (the 2001 Chardonnay Reserve was my favorite wine) and great food (the crab salad on top of a fried green tomato slice was my favorite food). 

As is the nature of this type of event, my dinner companions and I made polite small talk and talked about the type of work that we do.  The mix consisted of a CPA who did personal accounting, a CPA who worked for a large accounting firm, a professional banker, a school teacher, an Information Technology Officer for a startup healthcare provider, a contract management officer for the University of California San Francisco, and me, an Executive Director for Assisted Living, (insert punch line here).  I was a little surprised when the work that I did for a living became the focal point for the evening’s dinner conversation.  But perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised since everyone at the table was of the sandwich or “tweener” generation.  Sandwich or “tweener” families are providing support for their own children, but as we see more and more often, are also providing support for aging parents.  The support is certainly emotional but for many “tweeners” it is also financial. 

We talked at length about how many from our parent’s generation even as their resources are dwindling, are obsessed with making sure they leave something behind, a final bequest to either their children or their grandchildren.  Whereas the tweener generation at the table indicated they felt no obligation to leave something behind for anyone.  One person said they would spend every last dime and that seemed to be the sentiment for most.  This sentiment signals a clear change in attitude from one generation to the next.  Perhaps equally surprising is that it has happened in such a short time span, a single generation.  A generation is usually thought to represent roughly a twenty year period.  Sociologist and psychologist who study such things are scratching their heads in wonder at this rapid change.  While the experts pontificate various explanations,  I think the “me” generation had spoken, perhaps prodded along that evening by the various wines that were being sampled. 

Trying to appear as innocent as possible, I pushed the conversation to what those at the table had done to prepare for their aging process.  After the usual I’m not going to get old comments and twitters of laughter got out of the way, I sensed a very real underlying fear among my dinner companions.  I didn’t see it as simply fear of aging but more likely a combination of many fears.  The fears of changes we expect as we get older are there for everyone to see but there are other fears that we as “tweeners” feel.  The term “tweeners” certainly indicates the position my generation has socially but it also references the push and pull we get from the generations before and after us.  The fear of not having the resources to support our children and also to support our parents can’t be hidden behind puffed out chests and driving the brightest and newest car(s).  Isn’t the question really if I meet those obligations how will I be in a position to provide for my own later years?  What I see is a disconnect promoted perhaps unknowingly by “me” generation.  We haven’t instilled the same sense of respect, responsibility, and even obligation from one generation to the next that our parents did with us.  Somewhere in the back of our minds is the fear that we’ve done something wrong that is going to suddenly come to light.

Perhaps using the illustration of the inheritance obligation felt by our parent’s generation and the lack of that same sense of obligation for our generation sidesteps a lot of the issues that surround the future of senior care.  But I do think it albeit for a brief fleeting thought represents one of the fears we as “tweeners” have about getting older.

There has been a sort of running joke in my family about making sure that one of my children became that pinnacle of the American success story, a doctor.  The undercurrent of that joke was that child or children would be the financial reserve that I could tap as I got older.  I’ve not been silent about expressing that thought out loud somewhat jokingly.  Alas, none of my children as of yet are doctors nor look to be on track to being the next Bill Gates.  Like many others of the next generation they are struggling with their own types of pressures made all the more complicated by a society that doesn’t at present offer the wide array of opportunities that faced me in my twenties and thirties.  Midlife I’ve had to change gears and re-examine my retirement plan.  I’m not sure that my children will feel the same sense of obligation but I’ve also come to increasingly having to face they most likely will not have the resources to help even if they wanted to help.  I would be willing to bet that I’m not alone in having that discussion with myself.  Like the majority of “tweeners” I approach getting older with many fears.

Contributing author Steven Mattingly is the Executive Director of Pacifica Senior Living in San Leandro, CA.

Compound in Red Wine Could Improve Mobility in Seniors

by George DaSilva

A new finding presented to about 14,000 scientists at the 244^th National Meeting & Exposition of the Chemical Society (the world’s largest scientific society), concluded that the compound Resveratrol,  (an antioxidant found in red wine and dark-skinned fruits), could be beneficial in improving mobility in seniors.  Resveratrol has been touted in the past as the “miracle molecule” by many scientists for its vast health benefits.

According to the research team leader, Jane E. Cavanaugh, Ph.D., the study based on lab mice suggests that consumption of Resveratrol through either dietary supplementation or diet itself could actually decrease motor deficiencies seen in older people - decreasing their injury risk due to slips and falls and therefore improving their quality of life. According to the American Geriatrics Society, one in three older Americans has difficulty with balance or walking.

Previous studies have shown that Resveratrol might help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol and slash the risk of heart disease and certain cancers and perhaps have some anti-aging effects in the body. Resveratrol is available as a dietary supplement and is abundant in foods such as red grapes, blueberries and nuts.

Source: Medical News Today

A Poem

By Steven Mattingly 

The daughter of a new resident of our community sent me the following poem written by her mother’s second husband. She also shared that having her mother at Pacifica “. . . makes my life so much easier and I'm happy to be with her again". It is pure joy to see her at peace and happy at Pacifica. She knows she is safe and well cared for! 

The poem is about a community where her mother and her mother’s second husband lived for several years before he died. The daughter wished that he was still around to write one for her mother’s new community. 

This is a realistic and poignant look into the world of assisted living from the viewpoint of a resident. He seems to be expressing his appreciation for those whom he encounters each and every day and the idea that while he knows life will come to an end, he is a better person for knowing those whom he names in his poem. May we all be able to make this kind of a difference in the lives of those entrusted to our care. 

There’s place for those who seek a rest - 

It’s found right here in the Golden West.

You’ll spot it as soon as you arrive 

At Eight-O-One on Island Drive.

If your pace has slowed and you’ve ceased to roam,

It’s just the place you might call “home”.

A gracious lady runs this place

And it all reflects her charm and grace.

A greeting by Cindy; then a chance to explore? 

She’ll usher you in to see David next door.

Have a quick look around; and we’ll see you later. 

Please try not to hurry our nice elevator!

There’s a typical room! It’s nice and it’s neat!

Now let’s go and see where you’re going to eat.

Three things you will find that are no surprise:

You sleep and you eat and you exercise!

And now, you’re to meet a special wee lass - 

It’s Rosemarie and her exercise class!

She keeps us all limber and balanced and strong.

Without her I’m sure we’d not last very long.

Not to worry my friend; and please don’t be afraid,

Meet the rest of the team who are here for your aid.

Aseleph hands out the pills here each day 

As she tries to keep doctors and nurses away.

And there’s Barbara and Amber and then Saba too,

All here just to do their best for you.

And then to make life just a bit more worthwhile

Martha greets all with her bright morning smile. 

The grounds are great and the place is neat, 

And we get far more than we can eat.

Now, let’s take a look at these folks of yore

Who make up the tenants - 100 or more! 

As you get to know all these people so well,

You find that each one has a story to tell. 

Lives spent in brave service for country and God.

From office or factory or paratroop sod.

On the land, in the air or on the blue sea,

They have stood in our places to keep us all free.

There’s Cliff and there’s Art and there’s Thomas and Bill 

And Charlie and Sheldon and Herbert and Gil.

While walking and talking are harder these days,

Their lives still shine through in hundreds of ways.

Few are the places these folks have not trod,

And now they’ve come home from a long life abroad.

There’s Tony and Margaret who’ve lived far away

They are golfers deluxe, and may show you some day.

Lillian’s a hiker - very much on the go. 

While Helga still touches her toes like a pro.

There’s music here too, and in flat or in sharp,

There’s Jean with her so welcome Vibra-Harp!

We all love to hear those old songs of our choice, 

And Cecilia brings with her that bright, happy voice!

Do we all have problems - did I hear you say?

I can’t even remember the time of the day.

A cane is a must, or we’d sure take a roller,

But most of us here sport a very fine stroller.

There’s a sadness here too, for we’re all getting older

And a pat feels so good on a tired old shoulder.

Try as we will to reverse this dread trend,

We know in our hearts that it all has to end. 

~Gil Dunkin

Tax Deduction of Assisted Living Costs

by Patricia Conlon

Over one million seniors live in Assisted Living communities across the United States and many of them pay their monthly fees with their own financial resources. Some or all of their costs may be tax deductible.

These are the basic rules concerning the tax deductibility of assisted living expenses:

According to the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), “long-term care services” may be tax deductible as an unreimbursed medical expense on Schedule A.

Qualified long-term care services have been defined as including the type of daily “personal care services” provided to Assisted Living residents, such as help with bathing, dressing, continence care, eating and transferring, as well as “maintenance services”, such as meal preparation and household cleaning.

Assisted Living residents seeking tax deductions for their services must qualify as “chronically ill”. This definition refers to seniors who are unable to perform two or more “Activities of Daily Living” (eating, transferring, bathing, dressing and continence) without assistance, or who need constant supervision because of a “severe cognitive impairment” such as Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. The Assisted Living resident must have been certified within the previous 12 months as “chronically ill” by a licensed health care

In order to qualify for a deduction, personal care services must be provided pursuant to a plan of care prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner. Many Assisted Living communities have on staff a licensed nurse or social worker who prepares a plan of care, sometimes called a “Wellness Care Plan,” in conjunction with the resident’s physician which outlines the specific daily services the resident will receive in the community.

In order to take advantage of deductions, a taxpayer must be entitled to itemize his or her deductions. Additionally, long-term care services and other unreimbursed medical expenses must exceed 7.5% of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income. (Generally, a taxpayer can deduct the medical care expenses of his or her parent if the taxpayer provides more than 50% of the parent’s support costs.)

For some Assisted Living residents, the entire monthly rental fee might be deductible, while for others, just the specific personal care services would qualify for a deduction.

Assisted living residents and their adult children should speak with their own income tax advisors to get clarification about their personal 


Patricia Conlon in the Community Relations Coordinator at Pacifica Senior Living in Palm Beach, FL.

A Lesson Taken From The Movies. . .

by Steven Mattingly

This past weekend I engaged in one of my favorite guilty pleasures, watching an oldie moldy movie.  This Sunday in between watching the 2012 London Olympics, I watched one of my favorite oldie moldy movies, “Now Voyager”, starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid and Claude Raines.  I remember this movie from my childhood.  As an adolescent I think I spent many Sunday afternoons during winter watching outdated movies on “Sunday Afternoon at the Movies” on the television with my mother.  To this day there are movies that bring flashbacks of the avocado green Naugahyde covered couch, the orange Naugahyde covered chair, and multiple bowls of popcorn watching the black and white television.  I can also reminisce about the oversized ashtrays and the matching antiqued end tables with matching lamps, but I’ll save that for another time.

There are a fair number of familiar Bette Davis quotations:  “If you want a thing well done, get a couple of old broads to do It.”; “Hollywood always wanted me to be pretty, but I fought for realism.”  But my favorite remains: “Old age is no place for sissies.” 

These are great and very true words about the aging process.  Residents of our communities encounter the things that we’ll call bullies each and every day.  Arthritis, stroke recovery, cancer, congestive heart failure, congestive obstructive pulmonary disorder, diminished vision, diminished hearing, family members who don’t have time to listen, family members who don’t want to listen, and a healthcare system that systematically fails to treat them as adults and far too many more to name.   A few of our residents have only one demon to look in the eye each day but for most, a whole gang of bullies sizes them up each day ready to pummel them with as much hurt and force as they can manage. 

With age there sometimes comes a unique grace and certain degree of suave in managing the bullies that are found on life’s path.  I am amazed each and every day at the aplomb and fortitude shown by residents as they stare down, beat back, and conquer their individual bullies.  Every now and then I’ll hear residents comparing their list of bullies and it sounds almost like a game of one-up-man-ship.  There is a strange reverence reserved for those who defeat the biggest number of bullies routinely. It reminds me of the game “King of the Hill”.   Remember that the next time your family member or loved one starts reciting the list of their various ailments.  It not that they are complaining, perhaps they are just getting ready for their next game of “King of the Hill”.

The title of the movie “Now Voyager” is taken from a poem titled “The Untold Want” by Walt Whitman.  In a pivotal scene for the character played by Bette Davis she is handed a piece of paper with the following lines; The Untold Want By Life and Land Ne'er Granted Now, Voyager Sail Thou Forth to Seek and Find Life isn’t the movies and no one gets handed a piece of paper telling them to sail forth and seek and find.  But a good swift punch will beat back the bullies each and every time. Steven Mattingly is the Executive Director of Pacifica Senior Living in San Leandro, CA.

Why Watching the British Open Made Me Cry

Remembering My Father  

By Steven Mattingly

For those of you who are not golf fans, I’ll begin with a bit of recent golf history. A 40 year old recently won the prestigious British Golf Open something that as of late has been left to the younger generation of golfing giants. Being of that certain age myself (50+) it was great to see the old guy make good one more time. But it also reminded me of a time when my father was the “old guy” trying to win one more time. 

My father for the last 20 years of his working life was the golf course superintendent for a small golf course where I grew up in Kentucky. He often referred to himself as a high class dirt farmer. He had grown up the oldest of 11 children on a poor scrap of a farm with a father who was both mean and mean spirited towards his children. The ragtag assemblage of the family and their circumstances can at best be described as dirt poor. I think my father enjoyed a secret laugh each time he made the high class dirt farmer reference since he not only escaped the hard scrabble of being a farmer, he had done it with style. 

My father was also quite the competitive and successful sportsman as a teenage and young man, playing baseball on a couple of semi-pro teams until his knees and back gave out and he couldn’t jump up quickly enough from his catcher’s position. At the ripe age of 34 he took up golf and that in turn in a very roundabout way led to his becoming a golf course superintendent. For anyone who has played golf you know the frustration of the game and also know that practice does indeed make perfect in the game. My father rarely had time to practice between a 16 hour work day in the warm weather and still being a father to four children. So it was somewhat surprising the August that I was 12 that I noticed my father was carving out 15 minutes here and 20 minutes there to hit golf balls and work on his game. He had always been a good golfer by never a great one. Being a youngster I couldn’t figure out the angle until it was the week before Labor Day weekend when I realized my father had with quiet determination set about qualifying to play in a well respected and highly competitive match play golf tournament held over the three day weekend at the golf course where he was the superintendent.

Somewhat surprising to many who knew him, he qualified to play in the championship division. My father over that three day weekend got up at 4am and got me up as well since I was his helper and mowed, raked, trimmed and otherwise manicured the golf course to the pristine order for which it had become known under his tenure. He then came home 6 hours later, cleaned up and went back to the course to play his matches. To his great credit he won matches his first and second day and made it to the elite group of four for the final day. On that final day he again was up at 4am did a day’s work, and went back out to face what he knew as did I his toughest opponent, a strapping and strong 18 year old with a slamming swing that just sent the ball soaring into space. The match was fascinating to the crowd that traditionally watch this part of the tournament and to me who served as my father’s caddy throughout the tournament. 

There was never more than a difference of 1up throughout the match and it ended up even after 18 holes of play going into sudden death right at 12noon. And that’s when it happened, the responsibility of being the golf course superintendent and the desire to prove something clashed. If you know anything about Kentucky weather know that in late August it is ungodly hot and humid, two things that spelled disaster for my father’s carefully manicured greens, often referred to by many as the finest in all of Kentucky. He didn’t want to forfeit so he did what he had to do. He played the first hole of sudden death and at the end of putting pulled out the hoses (no automatic sprinkler here) and hand sprinkled the green for the time it took for his opponent to walk to the next tee, he then sprinted from the previous green to the next tee and continued the match. This continued for four holes of sudden death until my very tired father missed a very makeable four foot putt and lost the match. I thought of my father as I watch the British Open and saw the “old man” win and just cried for I knew he could have made that last putt.

Steven Mattingly is the Executive Director of Pacifica Senior Living in San Leandro, CA.