Clinton Township Newsletter

2 9 a u g u s t 2 0 2 3 Frank F. Apgar & Sons Septic Tank Cleaning Family Owned Business Annandale 908.735.5248 www.ApgarSonSeptic.com Combined, Anthony P. Kearns and Victor A. Rotolo have been serving the local community for over 60 years. Call Kearns Rotolo today 908.534.7900 to discuss any legal situation confronting you. Your half-hour consultation is free of charge! Their attorneys and staff are ready to serve your legal needs. Kearns Rotolo Law . 502 US 22 West, Lebanon, NJ 08833. www.KearnsRotoloLaw.com P r O T e C T i n g l O v e D O n e s F r O m e l D e r F r a u D Elder fraud comes in many forms and can include scams involving investments, lotteries, phone and gift cards, Medicare, Social Security and even romance. Sometimes it can be veiled as an offer to help; a neighbor or acquaintance volunteers to do the shopping or banking then uses their victim's credit card or banking information for their own benefit. Whatever the form, elder fraud has one intention – financial exploitation. It's estimated that older adults collectively lose about $4.8 billion a year to elder fraud. That breaks down to about $34,000 per victim; it's closer to $83,000 per victim when the perpetrator is someone the victim knows. And those figures are based solely on known cases; many more go unreported. Why are the elderly so vulnerable? Isolation and decreased self- confidence due to memory loss and failing health are two reasons that often lead older adults to trust the wrong people. Look for the Signs. How can you tell if your family member is being victimized? Look for significant, sudden changes in his or her personal or financial life: • A change in priorities • A new relationship or greater significance given to an existing relationship, assisting someone else financially in secret • Charges to, or payments from, their accounts that are larger than normal or for things they wouldn't generally use • The sudden appearance of a gatekeeper, someone controlling communications between your loved one and other family members How to Help: If you suspect elder fraud, act quickly. Report your suspicions to the local adult protection or law enforcement agency or consult an elder law attorney. Every state has laws against elder fraud, but statutes of limitations put timelines on prosecuting these crimes. Other ways you can protect elder relatives: • If you have suspicions, ask questions; don't avoid tough topics. • Have a family pact stating the person who takes on the responsibility for helping the elderly relative with financial matters is to be accountable to other family members, reducing the opportunity for surreptitious activities. Most importantly, don't blame or judge. Remember, your loved one is the victim, not the wrongdoer. – Anthony Kearns 502 U.S. 22 Lebanon, NJ 08833 908∙534∙7900 www.KearnsRotoloLaw.com Tony Kearns and Vic Rotolo Working Together to Protect What's Important to You "Imagination has brought mankind through the Dark Ages to its present state of civilization. Imagination led Columbus to discover America. Imagination led Franklin to discover electricity. Imagination has given us the steam engine, the telephone, the talking-machine and the automobile, for these things had to be dreamed of before they became realities. So I believe that dreams – day dreams, you know, with your eyes wide open and your brain-machinery whizzing – are likely to lead to the beerment of the world. The imaginative child will become the imaginative man or woman most apt to create, to invent, and therefore to foster civilisation." ~ L. Frank Baum m e a l s O n w H e e l s i n H u n T e r D O n , i n C , Share the love with vulnerable Seniors this year! Meals on Wheels in Hunterdon celebrates the volunteers who keep our organization running, keep our communities safe, and provide services that otherwise would not exist. Volunteers demonstrate care and compassion through working together to bring about positive change. Volunteering reveals that the value of one individual act multiplied by the power of many enables us to thrive together. We encourage anyone looking for new opportunities to consider the value of volunteering and supporting local non-profits. For more information, please visit our website www.mowih.org, call the office at 908-284-0735, or email: info@mowih.org. Partially Funded Under Title III of the Older Americans Act Meals on Wheels in Hunterdon, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MEALS ON WHEELS in HUNTERDON 5 Walter Foran Blvd, Suite 2006, Flemington, NJ 08822 908.284.0735 | www.mowih.org | info@mowih.org A non-profit 501(c)(3) agency serving Hunterdon County seniors since 1973

• Cover