50+ Lifestyles

Targeting Seniors – How to Prevent Becoming a Victim

By Kathy Malmloff
CASI Director of Senior Services

Home burglaries and financial scams, they are crimes of opportunity that target older adults. They have become so prevalent that they’re now considered “the crime of the 21st century.” Why? It’s because seniors are thought to have a significant amount of valuables sitting in their homes and money their bank accounts.

It’s not just wealthy seniors who are targeted. Low-income older adults are also at risk as well. And it’s not always strangers who perpetrate these crimes. According to the National Council on Aging, over 90 percent of all reported elder abuse is committed by an older person’s own family members, most often their adult children, followed by grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and others. Unfortunately, these acts often go unreported or can be difficult to prosecute. However, they’re devastating to many older adults and can leave them in a very vulnerable position with little time to recoup their losses.

The Center For Active Seniors, Inc. (CASI) is teaming up with area law enforcement agencies and Per Mar Security to conduct a two-part educational series on how to prevent becoming a victim of local crime activities and scams.

• Tuesday, August 21 – 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. – Lunch & Learn: Burglary Prevention – Older adults are especially vulnerable to crime, cons, and burglaries, but there are ways senior citizens can protect themselves. Join Cpl. Hank Jacobsen, from the Davenport Police Department, for lunch and learn how you can take proactive measures to protect property, homes, and oneself against crime, regardless of age. Lunch and Learn is free to CASI members and $5/person for non-CASI members. Space is limited to 30 people. Registration deadline is August 14.
• Tuesday, September 18 – 1:00-2:30pm – Senior Self-Defense Class – Would you know what to do if someone broke into your home while you were there or tried to rob you while you were walking across a parking lot to your car? Representatives from the Scott County Sheriff’s Department and the Bettendorf and Davenport Police Departments join forces to provide a senior self-defense class. Learn how to protect yourself from potential criminals and physical attacks by changing day-to-day habits and what to do should you be in a physical altercation. This class is free to CASI members and $5/person for non-CASI members. Registration deadline is September 11.

Challenges can also impact older adults on the roadways during the winter months. How many times have you heard “they’ve forgotten how to drive” when the first flakes fall? CASI, the Davenport Police Department and Per Mar Security will wrap up the fall safety series with a lunch and learn on winter driving safety.

• Tuesday, November 13 – 11:00am – 12:30pm – Lunch & Learn: Winter Driving Safety – When winter weather strikes, drivers face out-of-the-ordinary challenges when they get behind the wheel. Snow, slush or icy roads are involved in nearly one in four weather-related vehicle crashes. Join Cpl. Hank Jacobsen, from the Davenport Police Department for lunch and learn about winter driving safety tips to help you prepare for the elements – before you face them – on the road. Lunch and Learn is free to CASI members and $5/person for non-CASI members. Space is limited to 30 people. Registration deadline is November 6.

For more information about these and other programs and activities at CASI, visit www.CASISeniors.org or call CASI at (563) 386-7477.