Internet Tips for Safe-Guarding Your Senior This Holiday Season
These days, the holiday season often means hopping online to do some quick and convenient shopping or staying in touch with loved ones you may not be able to see.
Elderly Care in Rehoboth Beach DE: Senior Internet Safety
As a family caregiver, you are likely accustomed to using the internet multiple times a day to handle everything from managing your calendar to staying in touch with friends, family, your children's teachers, business contacts, and more.
While mobile devices and the internet can be exceptional resources, they can also pose serious dangers. This is particularly true for elderly adults who are not as familiar with the internet. This can leave them inadvertently putting themselves at risk for criminal activity such as identity theft, Financial loss, and even home invasion. It is important to share Internet safety tips with your parents and they know how to effectively utilize this resource while keeping themselves safe.
Share these internet safety tips with your aging parent to safeguard them this holiday season:
-Never share your password with anyone. This applies to all aspects of the internet, from signing on to your mobile device or computer, to checking email and social media, to making purchases on retail accounts. This password should be kept absolutely private so it can not be utilized unethically.
-Never share financial information with anyone. This includes if you receive an email or other message that appears to be from the bank or other financial institution. These companies do not send out messages soliciting personal information such as passwords or account numbers. If your parent receives a message from their financial institution they should not answer it, and should contact the company immediately.
-Never post information about expensive gifts they have purchased. This only welcomes criminal behavior.
-Never post about vacation plans or that they will be away from their home. This just tells people their home is empty and easy to access. If they must share these plans, they should indicate that there will be people "housesitting" or that there will be people there frequently to prevent the idea that the house will be completely empty the whole time.
-Never use a website that is not secure. Always check to make sure any website being used for a purchase or other financial transaction is encrypted.
Being a family caregiver for an elderly adult can be one of the most meaningful choices you ever make. When you decide to care for your parent, you get the unique opportunity to spend more time with them, get to know them even deeper, and give back to them for all the love and support they gave you throughout your life. This means you want to give them the very best, and senior care can help you do that.
When you bring a senior home care services provider into your care routine with your loved one you are giving them access to more care, boosting their autonomy, and diversifying their social engagement. All of these combine to support better mental, emotional, and physical health and well-being as they age in place.
For you, it means allowing you to put more focus on spending quality time with your senior and nurturing the closeness of your bond rather than always focusing completely on their care needs.