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/