Monterey, CA Elder Abuse Alert : Sweepstakes Fraud

A pile of money sitting next to stacks of cash.


AARP Bulletin had an interesting story (November, 2020 page 32) profiling a serial elder abuse con man.  It profiled a man named Steven Thomas who for over 20 years has designed programs aimed at bulking seniors out of their hard earned pay, generating about $20,000 a month doing so.  He is now in prison, but has been cooperating with authorities regarding over 200 elicit sweepstakes scams.  His mailers for one client persuaded 400K victims to mail in over $50 million over a five year period.  He extensively used images of stock certificates as a hook to his scheme so that people would feel they were getting something of value.  He also used fonts similar to what banks use, and featured embossings and ornate borders, which many people fell for!

Monterey, CA Meals On Wheels Provides Seniors With Meals At No Cost

An older woman with a gray hair sitting in front of trees.


Meals on Wheels has partnered with Monterey Recreation to provide free meals for seniors (age 60+) at El Estero and Dennis the Menace Parking lot.  All you need is a mask and a reservation.  Please call ahead to 646-3866 or email [email protected]. 

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver : Monterey Outlook Is Not Good

A man wearing a mask with yellow warning tape around his mouth.


There were 228 new cases of coronavirus reported in Monterey County yesterday, bringing the total to 222,483.  Nationwide, the number of new cases rose by almost 200K to 17.819 million while deaths rose by 2,063 to 317,120.  In California, the number of new cases rose by 41,590 to 1.869 million while deaths rose by 144 to 22,653.  These numbers are not looking well, please stay at home as much as possible.

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver : California Outlook Is Terrible


There were 316 new cases reported yesterday, bringing the total to 22,571 cases.  Nationwide, the number of new cases rose by 251,477 to 17.626 million while deaths rose by 2,484 to 315,057.  In California, the number of new cases rose by 44,175 to 1.828 million while deaths rose by 288 to 22,509.  These numbers are not good, please stay at home as much as possible.

Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com

Monterey, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


Monterey,  CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Highlands, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gilroy, Gonzales, Greenfield, Hollister, King City, Marina, Monterey, Morgan Hill,  Pacific Grove, Pacific Grove, Paicines, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, San Juan Bautista, Seaside, Soledad and Tres Pinos

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver : Monterey Outlook Is Terrible

A blue background with some type of virus


The Monterey County Health Department put out a bulletin that there were a massive 3,304 new cases reported yesterday, bringing the total to 22,255 cases, a jump of 17% over yesterday’s count.  There was a report on twitter than the jump in the cases in Monterey and the rest of California was due to processing backlogs, with about half of the new cases from California State Prisons.  Nationwide, the number of new cases rose by 238,189 to 17.734 million while deaths rose by 2,384 to 312,573.  In California, the number of new cases rose by 42,775 to 1.783 million while deaths rose by 227 to 22,221.  These numbers are not good, please stay at home as much as possible.

Monterey, CA Tip For Diabetics : Exercise Frequently

A blood glucose level chart showing the optimal levels.


If your job requires you to do a lot of sitting, make sure you take frequent breaks especially if you are diabetic.  The ADA’s 2020 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes recommends doing a light activity for every 30 minutes of uninterrupted sitting.  Sitting increases insulin resistance, and it also increases blood pressure and impedes blood flow.  I know that this is tough to do now that the entire state of California has been put on lockdown.  We can’t go to Point Lobos or the beach, but try taking a walk around the block!

Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver : California Outlook Is Bleak

A close up of the word coronavirus with an image of a virus


There were a record number (444) of new cases of coronavirus cases reported in Monterey County, bringing the grand total to 18,951.  Nationwide, there was also a new record of nearly a quarter of million cases, bringing the total over 17 million for the first time.  Deaths were also at a new record of 4,255, with a cume total of 310,189.  In California, new cases more than doubled with a cume total now at 1.741 million and deaths soared to 425, bringing the total close to 22K.  These numbers are exploding, please stay at home as much as possible.

Monterey, CA Estate Planning In A Coronavirus World

An older woman holding a pink string in her hand.


AARP Bulletin in their November 2020 issue (page 22) had an interesting article about more and more couples looking at estate planning now that the coronavirus is making the future outlook bleak.  Keep in mind that you can write a will at any time, even if you are sick in the hospital.  Most estate planners recommend setting up a living trust, which gives you a lot of flexibility on how your assets are distributed following your death.  Experts warn that doing a joint will for a couple is a terrible idea—they aren’t even legal in some states.  Leaving more to one child than another almost guarantees that the will could be challenged.  Stepchildren aren’t automatically treated as children for legal purposes.  There are a lot of moving pieces in an estate plan so consult with your attorney.

Carmel, CA Elder Abuse Alert : Fed Ex And UPS Tracking Alerts Could Be Fake

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


The holiday season, unfortunately, typically ushers in a ton of elder abuse scams.  The latest; fake package notifications from Amazon.com, FedEx, UPS and others.  With e-commerce sales hitting an all-time high due to the coronavirus, more and more email delivery alerts are popping up but they may not all be legitimate.  Fake email messages often contain the logo of the shipping company, making them look more legitimate.  Getting you to click on a link is the main objective of these scams.  Others send an attachment with malware in it, so never click on an attachment from an unknown sender.  Most come with a call to action such as purporting there is a problem with the shipping address or the payment method, attempting to get you to click through.  Always go to where you made the purchase to check on the order status. 

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/20283-scam-alert-dont-be-fooled-by-a-fake-package-delivery-scam