{"id":303687,"date":"2026-05-07T03:17:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T03:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/303687\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T03:17:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T03:17:11","slug":"supporting-and-protecting-seniors-during-older-americans-month-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/303687\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting and Protecting Seniors During Older Americans Month | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\tReading Time: 3 minutes<\/p>\n

May is Older Americans Month, a time to promote healthy aging, highlight the challenges older adults face and celebrate efforts to enhance their quality of life. This year\u2019s theme, \u201cChampioning Your Health,\u201d encourages conversations and actions that support physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing at every age.<\/p>\n

Residents 85\u00a0years\u00a0and older are the fastest-growing age group in San Diego County\u00a0and protecting all older adults from fraud\u00a0remains\u00a0a top priority.<\/p>\n

The San Diego Elder Justice Task Force reports that in 2025, the region saw about 1,800 victims of senior fraud, with losses exceeding $140 million. That figure does not include cases that went unreported because of fear, shame and embarrassment.<\/p>\n

\u201cFraud targeting older adults can be financially devastating, but there also are long-term consequences to their mental and physical health like severe depression, anxiety, insomnia and intense feelings of shame or self-blame,\u201d said Allison Boyer, Director of County Aging & Independence Services.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cVictims may suffer from higher blood pressure, accelerated cognitive decline, and even the inability to afford housing or medication.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fraud Prevention and the San Diego Scam Jam Tour<\/p>\n

The San Diego Scam Jam Tour<\/a> is a series of free fraud-prevention events taking place in 12 cities across the county starting Thursday, May 7. Hosted by AARP and supported by the County of San Diego\u2019s Scam and Fraud Education Support Team (SAFEST), the three-month tour offers interactive learning sessions led by fraud experts.<\/p>\n

Participants\u00a0will learn about\u00a0common\u00a0tactics used by scammers and\u00a0practical steps older adults can take to avoid becoming victims.<\/p>\n

The County urges older adults and family members to download the\u00a0Don\u2019t Get Hooked Toolkit<\/a>\u00a0available in\u00a0multiple languages<\/a>. The toolkit includes tips for identifying scams, instructions on how and where to report fraud, and steps to protect yourself and loved ones.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0San Diego County District Attorney\u2019s Office<\/a>\u00a0also offers resources, including its \u201cStop. Hang Up. Tell Someone.\u201d campaign and detailed information on the most common types of\u00a0scams\u00a0targeting older adults.<\/p>\n

\"People \"\"<\/p>\n

County Programs Supporting Older Adults<\/p>\n

In 2019,\u00a0County\u00a0Aging\u00a0&\u00a0Independence\u00a0Services<\/a>\u00a0launched\u00a0the\u00a0Aging Roadmap<\/a>,\u00a0a regional guide designed to support older adults through personal care, affordable\u00a0and age-friendly\u00a0housing, accessible\u00a0transportation\u00a0and opportunities for social connection.<\/p>\n

Key\u00a0County programs include:<\/p>\n

Meals and Senior Dining<\/a>:\u00a0Hot, nutritious meals for adults 60+ at\u00a0nearly 30\u00a0locations,\u00a0many with\u00a0transportation\u00a0options.
\nIn-Home Supportive Services (IHSS):\u00a0Household and personal care\u00a0assistance\u00a0for eligible older adults and individuals with disabilities.
\nFeeling Fit\u00a0Club\/Tai Chi<\/a>:\u00a0Inclusive fitness programs\u00a0that support\u00a0physical health,\u00a0connection\u00a0and\u00a0independence.
\nAIS Call Center:\u00a0A central resource for information on AIS services, community programs\u00a0and\u00a0assistance\u00a0for\u00a0older adults,\u00a0caregivers,\u00a0and people living with disabilities. Specialists also take reports of suspected elder and dependent adult abuse.
\nVolunteer opportunities<\/a>:\u00a0Older adults can\u00a0participate\u00a0in\u00a0the Retired\u00a0&\u00a0Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) or serve in the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which advocates for residents in long-term care facilities.<\/p>\n

Aging & Independence Services (AIS) supports older adults, people with disabilities and the caregivers who help them. AIS offers nutrition programs, in-home support, fitness and social activities, protective services and longterm care advocacy. AIS connects people with resources that help them stay safe, independent and engaged in their communities.<\/p>\n

More information about these and other AIS programs is available through the County Aging & Independence Services Call Center at 800-339-4661 or by\u202fvisiting its\u00a0website.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reading Time: 3 minutes May is Older Americans Month, a time to promote healthy aging, highlight the challenges…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":303688,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[3130,1570,28167,15449,74,76,75,28489,386],"class_list":["post-303687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-fraud","tag-health","tag-older-adults","tag-prevention","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-scams","tag-seniors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303687"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303687\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}