Media Contact: Aimee Leeper, Marketing & Communications | (901) 529-4783 | [email protected]
Here are some tips recently published by the FTC to help you keep the scammers at bay:
As America’s population ages, the problem of elder financial abuse is growing. We are proud to announce two new ways for banks to get involved in protecting vulnerable senior citizens in their local communities.
Our two new offerings, Senior SentryTM and Senior SecureTM build on the widely adopted Senior Crimestoppers® program to address the needs of seniors in communities big and small. Senior Crimestoppers® is a nationwide crime prevention and education program, powered by the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation. This year, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary of providing safety & security to senior citizens with the Senior Crimestoppers® program. Over 200 banks currently support the protection of 100,000 seniors and earn CRA credit through their sponsorship.
Responding to feedback from bankers and healthcare administrators that elder financial abuse is a primary concern, we’ve created an educational tool, Senior SentryTM, to educate and train healthcare staff and caregivers at local senior housing facilities to detect the signs of and to prevent financial abuse of those they care for.
“Banks already have access to training materials on financial abuse for their own employees. The gap is in training for those that have the closest contact with America’s elder population, housing facility staff members,” said Terry Rooker, President of Senior Crimestoppers. “Facilities administrators appreciate having a resource like this that adds a level of security to their residents.”
Senior SentryTM is a dynamic educational and training video that covers topics like how to avoid email and phone scams, warning signs of abuse, and what to do if abuse is suspected. It is full of helpful resources to ensure that no one in their golden years is deprived of what they’ve spent a lifetime saving.
Senior SecureTM is a more robust program for senior housing facilities that includes the educational component, facility signage plus a toll-free, anonymous tip line with rewards offered for information regarding elder abuse.
“We developed the Senior SecureTM program for banks that truly believe in and support our mission, but are not yet the size at which they are examined for CRA compliance,” said David Lenoir, President & CEO of CRA Partners. “These two new programs are a great compliment to our flagship Senior Crimestoppers® program. It makes it possible for more banks to get involved with the senior citizens in their local communities. This is increasingly important to bankers as the average age of Americans continues to rise.”
The response from family members of residents and staff at senior housing facilities that already offer protections like these has been tremendous. Expressing her gratitude for the bank and Senior Crimestoppers, Shelly Fuller of Bayshore Towers in Pasadena, TX said “On behalf of Bayshore Towers’ senior residents, I want to thank you for your support and partnership with us as we provide a safe community.”
For more details, see https://www.seniorcrimestoppers.org/senior-secure/ and https://www.seniorcrimestoppers.org/senior-sentry/
The Mississippi Bankers Association discusses CRA modernization in the latest issue of their publication. The article quotes our CEO, David Lenoir.
The Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation is pleased to announce our relationship with the Indiana Healthcare Association. Their backing of Senior Crimestoppers – a multi-faceted, nationally acclaimed crime prevention program helping to prevent abuse, neglect, theft, vandalism, substandard care, fraud and any unethical behavior – will help bring safety and security to seniors in the Hoosier state. The program covers not only vulnerable seniors but employees, family members, and even visitors in Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes, assisted or independent living communities, HUD subsidized elderly apartments or any State Veterans Homes across the country. Senior Crimestoppers protects over 100,000 senior residents nationwide. We are delighted to be named as an endorsed partner.
The Senior Crimestoppers program includes a coordinated set of components that work together to prevent and resolve crime. Having the program in place has deterred incidents from occurring and most facilities have become members of the program not because they have problems, but because they wish to prevent problems from taking root. The proven program and its components improve a residents’ overall quality of life.
Since its inception, the total number of crime incidents at participating facilities has been reduced by over 95%.
First International Bank & Trust partnered with CRA Partnership to sponsor the Senior Crimestoppers program at St. Gabriel’s Community. Our own Ron Brooks was present and got the opportunity to share more about us on a local news station KFYR TV. See the segment here:
…to share the news with you that one of our former team members, Kay Joest, passed away on May 13, 2019. Kay served as Managing Director of Senior Crimestoppers from September 2002 until her retirement in December of 2017. We’ll all remember Kay for her kindness, dedication, and passion for protecting the elderly. She will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure to know her.
Valentine’s Day is a controversial holiday. It is either seen as an opportunity for pampering and romance, or alternatively, a day that is dismissed as tacky and overly commercialized. However, people can usually agree on two things. First, the biggest perk is the post-Valentine’s discounted candy, and second, wholesome love stories of older adults are always worth sharing.
Veterans Day on November 11th is quickly approaching, a day to honor the brave men and women who served our country and celebrate them with the respect they deserve. We would like to recognize a new bank partner who is doing their part to protect elderly veterans in their community from theft, abuse and neglect through participation in our program.
I am grateful and truly honored for the opportunity to lead CRA Partners. It is a privilege to work with such a wonderful team that is dedicated to helping our bank partners achieve their CRA goals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 10, 2018
CRA Partners and the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation have named David Lenoir as Chairman, President and CEO effective immediately.