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Health & Fitness

WSHA Neighborhood Watch: Safety Tips for Seniors at Home

Civic Association provides Safety Tips for Seniors at home.

This week i will provide some safety tips for seniors citizens, who are often seen by criminals as easy targets. The tips provided below are designed to keep seniors more safe in their homes. Please pass this on to your family, friends and neighbors.

At home:

• Do not rely on a chain lock to keep people out.

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• Consider having a security viewer installed.

• Put Dead Bolt locks on all exterior doors.

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• Never hide keys outside, Burglars know most hiding spots.

• Even if your expecting someone, ask who is there before opening the door.

• If the person on the other side of the door seems familiar, is wearing authoritative clothes or a uniform, ask that credentials and a photo ID be held up for you to view before opening the door.

• You have the right to refuse to open the door to any businessperson, salesperson, service-person or official.

• Most companies/utilities will call before sending personnel to your home. You can call to make a specific appointment.

• Check out specifics by telephone while the visitor waits outside.

• If you are not interested, say so without opening the door. You can ask them to leave their business card in the mailbox.

Answering the telephone:

• Do not volunteer any information to unknown people over the telephone: name, address, social security number .....

• Hang up quickly on suspicious or obscene callers.

• Put only your first initial, last name and town in the apartment and phone directories. You can ask to have your street address removed from these listings.

Suggestion:

• Your mailbox may not be the safest place for your social security or retirement checks. Consider having a locked mailbox or door mail slot. Consider a direct deposit program.

Courtesy of the Nassau County Police Department.

Christopher Carini is a Trustee for the Wantagh Seaford Homeowners Association and also serves as The Director of the WSHA Neighborhood Watch

For more information on Wantagh Seaford Homeowners Association Neighborhood Watch

Join the above group on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/wantaghseafordwatch/?ref=ts&fref=ts

Or at the WSHA website at www.WSHA.LI

 

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