Elder Care in Hobe Sound FL
Seniors are jumping online and embracing the digital age and technology in greater numbers every year, says Pew Internet & American Life Project. According to their research, 53 percent of adults 65 and older use the Internet and online tools such as email, reading news, etc. Among them, a whopping 70 percent report going online each day. They’re using it to do online shopping or to research topics of interest to them, etc. Some even do online banking or pay credit card bills online. Still others, are very much old school and don’t trust online banking in the least. They may never be convinced of the ease and convenience it provides. But there are some tips that can be followed whether the person you’re providing care for has been doing online banking since the dawn of the Internet, or they’re just starting to trust that aspect of technology. Banking becomes simpler and more manageable when you or they can make payments from the comfort of your or their home.
- Never provide sensitive information like account numbers, social security numbers, debit or credit card numbers or PINs over the phone or email. (Their bank, credit card companies, nor any government agency will not call or email them seeking this information. If you have any doubt about the identity of the person who is asking for information, you may want to advise them to call up and telephone your bank directly.)
- Keep unused checks in a safe place; and avoid writing a blank check whenever possible.
- Review your account statements and balance regularly online or with monthly paper statements. Balancing your checkbook against your monthly statement can help you catch any fraudulent spending if it occurs.
- Establish a personal relationship with your banker or attorney. If they know you, they may be able to help identify suspicious activity on any of your accounts more quickly.
- Consider using a joint checking account for senior citizen banking needs.
- When giving someone else access to your funds choose someone you trust implicitly to do the right thing.
- Always look for an “s” in the “https” portion of a web site address, and a padlock icon to make sure you are on a secure site.
- Have strong, unique passwords for credit card or financial institution sites. Combine upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. Even use spaces within a password, if the site allows.
- String several words together in a phrase that is easy for you to remember such as “ilovedalmations”instead of the single password “dalmatians.” Passphrases are significantly stronger than an individual password.
- When logging out of a site, it’s important to “log off” instead of just closing the site, especially if using a public computer such as at a library or senior center.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Hobe Sound, FL, contact the caring staff at BrightStar Care of Jupiter. Call today (561) 741-1200.