Seniors warned to guard against many forms of abuse

The signs of elder abuse may not always be as obvious as a broken bone or a bruise. They can be subtle, like a neighbor who made a habit of taking a daily walk but no longer gets out as much, or a friend who has started to become distant from usual activities.

"It can happen in subtle ways and it snowballs from there," said Laura Snow of the Center for Elder Abuse Prevention, and about 90 percent of the time, the abuse -- whether physical, emotional or financial -- happens at the hands of the elderly victim's family or friends.

Snow, who works with the Jewish Home for the Elderly in Fairfield, was at the Fairfield Senior Center on Wednesday with other senior advocates and law-enforcement personnel to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

"Has anybody every heard of anyone who had a relative who was in jail in Mexico or Canada?" Police Chief Gary MacNamara asked the audience of older adults. "Has anybody ever heard of a foreign national prince giving $15 million to anyone you know?"

It never happens, MacNamara said. "It's not normal," and if anyone ever gets a call like that, call the police and let them check it out.

Scammers prey on human weaknesses, he said, and those who show up at the door promising cheap home repairs but only if payment is made right away, often use people's fears to in convincing them to fall for a swindle.

"If anyone calls asking for your grandson, call your grandson," Snow said, referring to the often used Grandma Scam. "Ask them for a phone number you can call them back on."

Everyone, no matter their age, needs to do business "on our own terms," police Capt. Josh Zabin said. "In our household, we don't do business over the phone," he said. "Those are our terms. Possibly your terms are, `Send me something in the mail.' It's not inappropriate and it isn't rude."

Senior Center Director Margaret Anderson recalled a recent trip to see her mother, who lives alone. In the cab ride from the airport to her mother's house, the cab driver began to ask her about her mother and whether she lives alone.

Anderson said it made her suspicious, so she lied. "I said, `Oh no, my cousin lives with her.' It might have been a very innocent conversation but it didn't feel that way.' "

Police Sgt. Sue Lussier said the department's revitalized Neighborhood Watch program will also incorporate looking out for elderly neighbors as part of its mission.