I met Gloria through a social worker who worked onsite at the retirement community where Gloria was living. Gloria’s daughter had remarried and was moving across country with her husband. She was looking for someone to take over household management for her mom, and the social worker contacted me.

My first task was to get a handle on the mountain of paperwork stacked up on Gloria’s kitchen table. Gloria was a paper hoarder, and was reluctant to part with – yet unable to deal with – magazines, bills, advertisements, notices, bank statements, cards, letters, etc. I spent 2-4 hours every couple of weeks going through the stack, categorizing and processing items as “toss”, “shred”, “act on”, or “file.” I set up a simple filing system that would be easy for her family to review, when necessary, and ensured that the appropriate document retention system was in place.

In the course of reviewing and categorizing Gloria’s paperwork, I found details of a personal loan she had made to the person who set up her trust. It turned out that he was not an attorney or a licensed financial planner. He was an insurance salesman who had gained Gloria’s confidence and authorization to invest for her. This was a clear case of Financial Elder Abuse, especially given that Gloria’s mental capacity had been in decline for several years. I discovered that Gloria had loaned him and his wife $50,000, which he was to pay back at $200 per month. I immediately notified Gloria’s daughter about the fraud, and brought in an Estate Attorney to examine the trust document to be sure that Gloria’s assets were protected. I also recommended an Elder Law Attorney to see if there was a case to pursue for Financial Elder abuse. Not only had the perpetrator, based in Reno, scammed Gloria, he had also defaulted on his primary mortgage and was still making the rounds visiting vulnerable clients in the area.

Sometime later, when Gloria’s physician determined that she had dementia, the daughter decided to move Gloria to an assisted living facility near her. Here’s when my services transitioned from Household Manager to Move Manager. I helped with the disposition of some of Gloria’s assets, assisted with packing the remaining items, and coordinated all the logistics for the move. Additionally, I put together a high-level view of Gloria’s assets and liabilities for her daughter.

Out of the 34 million Americans who are caring for their aging loved ones, 15% live at least an hour away from the family members who need their help. Using the services of a trusted senior advocate can provide peace of mind for everyone. In Gloria’s case, I was also able to use my experience to raise the flag on a fraudulent activity and bring in additional resources on her behalf.

If you are caring for an aging loved one, know that you don’t have to do it all yourself. Here’s a little more about the various members of Gloria’s “village.”

Daily Money Manager (that’s me!): A Daily Money Manager’s role is three-fold: An advocate, who informs the elder about community services available, benefits he or she is entitled to, and application assistance; a debt manager, who helps negotiate with creditors; and a bill payer, who organizes the bills and reminds the elder when to pay each bill; or the DMM may have authorization to pay the bills from the elder’s bank account.

Household Manager: As a Household Manager, I take on the everyday tasks of running a household for seniors who have lost the interest or ability to care for a large home. This includes overseeing any work by contractors (e.g., plumber, handyman) or other vendors – primarily to protect the senior from scam artists. Work might also include taking care of household payroll for folks who have in-home care.

Move Manager: As a Move Manager, I help the senior determine what to take with them to their next home. I then manage the disposition of any assets, help with the packing, and coordinate all the moving logistics. If the move is local, I also help the senior get situated in their new home.

Elder Law Attorney: An Elder Law Attorney may do estate planning, asset protection and trust administration. In addition, elder law also encompasses protecting the rights of seniors.