On Aging & Advocacy for Our Elders

Jeanne Jugan was the founder and first Little Sister of the Poor, an international congregation founded in 1839. Their mission is to offer the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they will be welcomed as Christ, cared for as family and accompanied with dignity until God calls them to himself. The Little Sisters of the Poor serve more than 13,000 elderly persons in 32 countries. Learn more at ~

The Little Sisters of the Poor

 Jesus, you rejoiced and praised your Father
for having revealed to little ones
the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.
We thank you for the graces granted
to your humble servant, Jeanne Jugan,
to whom we confide our petitions and needs.
(pause to voice your personal needs and intentions) Father of the poor,
you have never refused the prayer of the lowly.
We ask you, therefore, to hear the petitions
that she presents to you on our behalf.
Jesus, through Mary, your Mother and ours,
we ask this of you,
who live and reign with the Father
and the Holy Spirit now and forever.
Amen.

St. Jeanne's Feast Day is August 30th. 
She was beatified by Pope John Paul II
on October 3, 1982 and
canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on
October 11, 2009.

We've assembled additional resources on Aging -
please read on for more in Item 4 below. 

Recognizing the social, economic, and spiritual implications of this rapidly growing age group, the bishops encourage a fresh perspective that embraces the gift of aging. Special words are offered for (1) older people themselves, (2) caregivers, (3) the parish faith community--pastors, staff, volunteers, and all parishioners, and (4) younger adults.

The publication also includes reflection and discussion questions, current statistics, and helpful suggestions.  It was released in commemoration of the United Nations' "International Year of Older Persons."

Blessings of Age

In our March 28th edition of JUSTNews we shared the story of a woman helped by our St. Vincent de Paul Society. She'd fallen prey to a scam to improve her credit score.

In the news at this writing (April 8, 2021) is the story of seniors who fell victim to a scam by persons posing as tech support, for example, Best Buy's "GeekSquad". Originally published in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the article observes that "Business imposter fraud topped the Federal Trade Commission Consumer Sentinel Network’s tally of types of fraud against consumers ages 60 to 69 and 70 to 79 for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2020, knocking government imposters from the top spot." 

Knowledge is power. Information is strength. Share what you learn with a senior in your circle of care!

• Senior Scam Alert from the Department of Justice

• U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and their Fraud Hotline ~ (855) 303-9470

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

• For elder financial abuse, contact local Adult Protective Services or local law enforcement

• National Center on Elder Abuse

• Aging In Place Guide to Recognizing Elder Abuse

The ACL advocates across the federal government for older adults, people with disabilities, families and caregivers. It funds services and supports provided by states and networks of community-based programs; and invests in training, education, research, and innovation. Learn more about ACL in this video (2 minutes) ~ 

The ACL

City of Austin Senior Programs & Services - The Austin Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of programs and services for people 50 years of age and older. Activities include traveling, pursuing old hobbies and learning new ones, socializing with friends, meeting new people, increasing knowledge, becoming and staying physically fit, supplementing income, contributing to the community and much more!
AGE of Central Texas - helps older adults and their caregivers thrive as they navigate the realities and opportunities of aging and caregiving.

ACL Programming for Protecting Rights & Preventing Abuse - address abuse, neglect, exploitation, or rights violations of older adults and people with disabilities, including state protection and advocacy systems, elder justice programs, legal assistance programs, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. 

Senior Living.org - offers a comprehensive directory of senior living options, hands down. From senior housing to health & care, safety, money management, and more — our mission is to help seniors age with ease.

The AARP Foundation - serves vulnerable people 50 and older by creating and advancing effective solutions that help them secure the essentials. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.

Through our ministries to those in need and from losses sustained by some within our parish community, we've learned of several scams that prey on the elderly and other vulnerable people. We've heard  heartbreaking stories! After running awareness articles, a member of our community brought us an opportunity to do more! 

St. Austin's hosted two virtual investor education and fraud awareness presentations. Officials from the Securities & Exchange Commission's Ft. Worth Regional Office, Barbara Gunn and Drew Zimmerman, shared information and resources increasing our awareness of how to avoid falling prey to schemes targeting seniors and other vulnerable populations. Knowing that seniors are often the target of fraud and some basic understanding of how scam artists work, empowers us to take action to protect elders in our circle of care. The presenters advised that "Ask Questions" is the best advice for wise investment.  We learned that many investors who might have avoided trouble and losses if they had asked basic questions from the start.

The presenters recommended these additional resources to learn more about this important issue and how to be an effective advocate:

• Investor.gov 

  • Resources for Seniors

  • Five Red Flags of Investment Fraud

  • Planning for Diminished Capacity and Illness

• FBI.gov

  • FBI Common Fraud Scams – Seniors