The Soweto Home for the Aged in Central Western Jabavu is fighting back against opportunists who prey on vulnerable elderly residents — some even tricking seniors into signing away their homes, personal belongings and grants.
Centre manager Phumlani Makhaye says while there have not been new confirmed cases recently, there have been “near cases” prevented in time.
“I would not call them cases, but of course it’s near cases when you stop it in its track,” Makhaye said.
“Recently, we have had about two elderly people who were brought in by people claiming they were concerned for their safety, only to later discover that the people are actually exploiters.”
Makhaye said certain individuals, sometimes distant relatives or opportunists posing as good Samaritans, deceive vulnerable seniors into handing over property, grants or signing documents they do not fully understand.
“At times, if a person says, 'I'm this elderly person’s only surviving grandchild', then the elderly resident might actually say, 'yes, this is my grandchild', because they have dementia and they might not even be aware of what they are agreeing to,” he said.
The centre’s strict assessment process often exposes these scams, he said.
“When we do an assessment, we want to ascertain if we are the best care for the elderly person, but also if the person is eligible to be in our care. We also make it very clear that we must conduct a home visit to see with our own eyes that the conditions really do exist.”
These home visits have revealed suspicious behaviour, with would-be exploiters often disappearing when asked to verify addresses or family links.
“We have had situations where we said, 'Before we admit the elderly person we need to come to the address you have put down and do an assessment.' We would find that the answer then changes, or the people vanish,” said Makhaye.
One of the disturbing tactics is having elders sign away their rights without understanding what they are signing.
Makhaye warned that “sometimes they do not even know what documents these are, and it might be documentation that allows a person to take every belonging of the elderly should something happen to them”.
While many of the elderly who arrive at the home are destitute, in some cases their IDs and Sassa grant cards are missing, raising fears that someone else may be illegally collecting grants on their behalf, he said.
“It really is classified as the abuse of the elderly. Yes, it might be seen as the elderly person is better off at an old age home, but if your intentions are to benefit you more than the elderly person, then you are contravening the Older Persons Act.”
The centre is urging families and the wider community to help prevent such exploitation.
“If you have information about an elderly person’s real relatives, come forward. It’s our community duty to ensure these elders are protected,” said Makhaye.
The home for the aged works closely with local police to educate residents about different forms of abuse and how to report it, he added.
“We continuously have talks with the police to speak to them about where to go if they feel they have been abused. Part of that is to address the issue of property that belongs to the elderly and how to prevent it landing in the wrong hands.”
TimesLIVE
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