Keeping Our Promise to Senior Citizens

We owe a debt of gratitude to our senior citizens. They have earned the right to live in safety.

By Alfonso E. Lenhardt, President and CEO

Senior citizens account for an ever-increasing share of the population. Right now, those over 65 years of age account for more than 13 percent of the population, and by 2030, their share of the citizenry will more than double. Seniors are more often than not active, sharp, and vital to their communities; after all, they helped build this country and fought its modern wars.

We owe a special debt of gratitude to our seniors, for all they have done and for all they do now. Because they often have a lifetime of skills and experience—and, in many cases, the time to share them— they are frequently the leaders of their neighborhood or homeowner groups, the mentors of at-risk youth, and the instigators of programs to assist law enforcement. They volunteer in all aspects of community life. They are frequently the eyes and ears who observe suspicious behavior and report it to the local authorities and the good Samaritans who help a neighbor in need.

Yet as our seniors advance in age, their bones can sometimes become brittle and illness may become more frequent. Loneliness may render these citizens vulnerable to the pitches of con artists.

It is up to us to protect our seniors just as we look out for any other group whose safety we champion. Today, seniors may be preyed upon by identity thieves and telemarketing con artists. Many make ideal targets for these criminals because, through their lives of hard work, they have accumulated wealth to sustain them in their retirements. In cyberspace, scammers are promising grant money to individuals from the recently enacted federal Stimulus Plan—in exchange for a fee that covers help with completing the “application” and filing it with the “government.” (No Stimulus Plan funds will go to individuals.) Moreover, as one in eight American homes faces foreclosure in this time of economic recession, there are those who would bilk people in housing distress through foreclosure and mortgage scams.

Foreclosure and mortgage scams against seniors, which have been likened to “paper terrorism,” can work the same way. A homeowner who cannot pay his mortgage or who is facing foreclosure is “lent” money to make the required payments so he can stay in his home—frequently all that the intended victim wants. What he doesn’t know is that either he is signing over the title of the home and will soon be evicted, or that the money will never be applied to the mortgage and the house will be foreclosed on anyway.

Worse, seniors are sometimes the victims of violence. Because some may appear frail and unable to protect themselves, they may be assaulted and robbed. Sometimes they are approached at the beginning of the month when they go to the bank to deposit pension and Social Security checks. A good way to stem this kind of loss is through direct deposit.

NCPC has recently undertaken a project with the Philadelphia Police Department and an organization called Crimes Against the Elderly aimed at curbing violence against seniors. The police department, with NCPC’s guidance, has trained trainers in how to conduct classes for seniors on how to protect themselves and massively distributed NCPC materials on staying safe. A second campaign is now under way. (See Marsha Hott’s Top Story in this issue of Catalyst for more details.)

Senior citizens have contributed to society in every conceivable manner. They have asked for little along the way. They deserve to live in safety, without having to fear scoundrels who might prey upon them. It is up to all of us, individually and collectively, to see that they can do so.