Safety
TRIAD is a non-profit organization comprised of
law enforcement, county agencies, and older adults. TRIAD educates by
sponsoring crime prevention programs; recruits & trains volunteers to
assist Police & Sheriff’s departments; provides a forum for law enforcement and the
community to share needs, concerns, and to develop solutions. TRIAD
sponsors a wide interest of crime prevention to seniors. Topics range
from: identity theft, what is a safe lock, or others as deemed needed by
members and volunteers. To become involved in TRIAD or to learn more
about it call the
Take special precautions against- - -
Use handrails on stairs. Climb carefully.
Make sure that your bathtub has a grab bar and
a non-slip skid mat.
Tack down edges of rugs. Use non-skid
floor wax.
Don’t wear loose or floppy shoes.
Use a cane if you need one.
Make sure stairways are well lit.
Fires and burns are especially dangerous to
older people.
Check your home for fire hazards- -Frayed
cords, loose wiring, overloaded electrical outlets, etc.
Avoid wearing wide-sleeved, flowing clothing
while cooking; use potholders.
Never smoke in bed.
Take drugs only as your physician
prescribes. Don’t try to treat Don’t take medications in the dark.
Read the label each time.
yourself.
Car Accidents
Don’t drive if you’re taking medications that make you drowsy.
Give up or reduce driving if you react slowly
or have problems with eyesight or hearing.
When out walking, cross streets at the
crosswalk, with the light.
Drivers might want to take a look at the AARP
Safe Driver Program
http://www.aarp.org/families/driver_safety/
Identity Theft
Prevention & Phone Safety
Take the following easy precautions to
prevent yourself from becoming a victim of Identity Theft.
1. Buy a cross-cut type
shredder. Shred all your important papers and especially pre-approved credit applications
received in your name and other financial information that provides access to
your private information. Don't forget to shred your credit card receipts.
2. Be careful of
"Dumpster Diving." Make sure that you do not throw anything away that
someone could use to become you. Anything with your identifiers must be
shredded (cross-cut) before throwing away.
3. Be careful at ATM's
and using Phone Cards. "Shoulder Surfers" can get your "Pin
Number" and get access to your accounts.
4. Get all of your checks delivered to your
bank - not to your home address.
5. Do not put checks in
the mail from your home mailbox. Drop them off at a
6. When you order new
credit cards in the mail, or your previous ones have expired, watch the
calendar to make sure that you get the card within the appropriate time. If it
is not received by a certain date, call the credit card grantor immediately and
find out if the card was sent. Find out if a change of address was filed if you
don't receive the card or a billing statement.
7. Cancel all credit
cards that you do not use or have not used in 6 months. Thieves use these very
easily - open credit is a prime target.
8. Put passwords on all
your accounts and do not use your mother's maiden name. Make up a fictitious
word.
9. Get a post office box or a locked mailbox,
if you possibly can.
10. Ask all financial
institutions, doctors' offices, etc., what they do with your private
information and make sure that they shred it and protect your information. Tell
them why.
11. Empty your wallet
of all extra credit cards and social security numbers, etc. Do not carry any
identifiers you do not need. Don't carry your birth certificate, social
security card, or passport, unless necessary.
12. Memorize social security numbers and
passwords.
13. When a person calls
you at home or at work, and you do not know this person, never give out any of
your personal information. If they tell you they are a credit grantor of yours
call them back at the number that you know is the true number, and ask for that
party to discuss personal information. Provide only information that you
believe is absolutely necessary.
14. Do not put your social
security number on your checks or your credit receipts. If a business requests
your social security number, give them an alternate number and tell them why.
They do not need that to identify you. If a government agency requests your
social security number, there must be a privacy notice accompanying the
request.
15. Do not put your telephone number on your
checks.
16. Get credit cards and business cards with
your picture on them.
17. Do not put your credit
card account number on the Internet (unless it is encrypted on a secured site.)
Don't put account numbers on the outside of envelopes, or on your checks.
18. When you are asked
to identify yourself at schools, employers, or any other kind of institutional
identification, ask to have an alternative to your social security number.
Unfortunately, your health insurance carrier often uses your social security
number as your identification number. Try to change that if you can.
19. In conjunction with
a credit card sale do not put your address, telephone number, or driver's license number on the
statement.
20. Monitor all your
bank statements from every credit card every month. Check to see if there is
anything that you do not recognize and call the credit grantor to verify that
it is truly yours.
21. Order your credit
report at least twice a year. Review it carefully. If you see anything
that appears fraudulent, immediately put a fraud alert on your reports by
calling the numbers below.
22. Immediately correct
all mistakes on your credit reports in writing. Send those letters Return
Receipt Requested, and identify the problems item by item with a copy of the
credit report back to the credit-reporting agency. You should hear from them
within 30 days.
23. Take your name off
all promotional lists. Call the three credit reporting agency numbers to opt out of pre-approved
offers.
Experian:
(888) 567-8688
Equifax:
(888) 567-8688
TransUnion: (888) 567-8688
Write to
the following to get off promotional lists:
|
Direct Marketing Association |
Direct Marketing Association |
24. Write to your State
and Federal Legislators to demand stronger privacy protection. Also, ask that
identity theft be considered a crime in your State. Demand that the State
Finance and Banking Committees pass legislation to protect consumers from negligent
bank and credit reporting practices.
25. Consider making your phone an unlisted
number or just use an initial.
26. Make a list of all
your credit card account numbers and bank account numbers (or photocopy) with
customer service phone numbers, and keep it in a safe place. (Do not keep it on
the hard drive of your computer if you are connected to the Internet.)
Another helpful tool in protecting yourself
from identity theft is checking your credit history for any inaccuracies.
Credit reports can be obtained from several places including:
http://www.annualcreditreport.com
(Most WI banks report to Trans
http://www.freecreditreportservice.com
If you have difficulty obtaining a credit
report through the above listed websites, visit Consumer Protection at the
Federal Trade Commission website http://www.ftc.gov
This is a program to alert medical
professionals in the event of an emergency. People wear either a bracelet
or a necklace that has a button to push in the event of a medical
emergency. Once pushed, the bracelet or necklace sends a signal that
notifies emergency personnel, who track the origin of the call and respond to
the emergency. To enroll in the program call Vernon Memorial Healthcare
at (608) 637-2101, Frontier Communications at 1-800-435-1504, St Joseph’s Hospital at (608) 489-8000, or Vernon
Telephone at (608) 634-3136. There is assistance to low income households
to receive this service at a reduced cost.
What is Domestic Abuse? Domestic abuse is the
mental or physical abuse of one person by another person with whom the abused
has a significant and intimate relationship.
Domestic Abuse can
occur in relationships whether the couple:
Article I.
Is living together or not living together.
Article II.
Is married, divorced, separated, or not married.
Article III.
Has children or does not have children.
Article IV.
Is heterosexual or is homosexual.
Domestic Abuse can
include any or all of the following categories:
Physical- hitting, punching, shoving, pinching or
any other act that causes physical harm. Put simply, anything that hurts
your body.
Verbal/Emotional- Swearing, threats,
humiliation, playing mind games.
Sexual- forcing unwanted sex or sexual acts.
Economic- controlling access to money or
essentials, giving an allowance.
Protect yourself, especially your head and
abdomen.
Try to get away! Lock yourself in another
room or run outside!
Scream and call for help!
Do whatever you need to do to prevent further
violence and more harm.
What is elder abuse? Hitting, taking
money, threatening, isolating, unwanted touching, neglect, it can happen to
anyone. Over 3,000 cases of elder abuse are reported in
Hurting someone is never a sign of
caring. There are many types of abuse. The most obvious is physical
abuse. But there are other types that don’t involve any physical violence, such as
verbal or emotional abuse, financial exploitation, sexual assault, or
neglect. Remember, just because someone doesn’t hit you doesn’t mean they’re not abusive.
You can help. Even though being abused is
never the elder’s fault, he or she
might feel ashamed, trapped, or all alone. If you believe that someone
you know is being abused, call Human Services at (608) 637-5210. Most
abusers are spouses, children, or other relatives.
Read through the following questions. If
you answer “yes” to any of them, call Human Services to
report a case of elder abuse!
Does your friend or relative get:
Shoved or shaken?
Drugged or starved?
Hit, kicked, or physically hurt in any way?
Is your friend or relative:
Isolated from family or friends?
Verbally assaulted, threatened, or harassed?
Treated like an infant or given the silent
treatment?
Is a family member, caregiver, friend, or
neighbor:
Taking money or possessions belonging to your
friend or relative?
Forcing or tricking your friend or relative
into signing any documents (ex. Power of Attorney, contracts, will)?
If you think an older person is being
financially exploited, don’t feel guilty about asking a professional to look into it.
You are not being nosey. You are watching out for him or her and showing
that you care.
Is your friend or relative being touched
inappropriately or forced to perform or watch sexual acts?
Does a family member or caregiver refuse to
provide food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, or other
life essentials?
Self-Neglect
Is your friend or relative unable or unwilling
to eat, dress, bathe, take medications, or keep his or her home clean and
livable?
Self-neglect is considered elder abuse because
the elder is threatening his or her own health and safety.
It’s not a family problem. IT’S ABUSE!
One phone call can change everything. If
you know someone who is being abused, call Human Services at (608)
637-5210. Your identity will be kept confidential by law. When you
call, you will be asked what happened, when and where it occurred, and the name
of the suspected abuser.
Elder abuse doesn’t have to be abuse that begins after age
60. It can be domestic abuse that has been happening for years.
What happens when
someone makes a report?
Each
Everyone Deserves a