325 Pine Avenue• PO Box 817, Waynesboro, VA 22980 • 540.949-7141 • www.vpas.info
November 2024
Sometimes the work we do begins with investigation - like peeling back the layers of an onion. Because it's a process that involves so many people in our community, we wanted to share about a couple we're working with now. We've changed some details to protect their privacy. Unfortunately, what happened to them is becoming more common among our older neighbors.
Mr. and Mrs. N. are both in their 80s. She is a caregiver to her husband, a veteran who lives with Parkinson's disease. He likes to work on puzzles in their living room. In March, Mrs. N. called our office to get help with home and financial issues.
One of our case managers visited with the couple, discovering the lights were flickering in their home. We listened to the couple's concerns and began asking questions to better understand their financial problems. The couple had not paid their mortgage for over a year. The reason the lights were flickering was because of their inability to pay for a costly repair.
Mrs. N. explained she had been giving money to a person who told her she would be receiving prizes and money, but that she had to pay fees to get the prizes. We immediately contacted Adult Protective Services and the Sheriff's Department. Together, we helped Mrs. N. understand that she was being scammed. Then we worked with a legal group to help stop the foreclosure of the couple's home and develop a payment schedule she could afford. Mrs. N. was able to fix her electrical problem after she stopped paying the scammers.
Thankfully, they are now more financially stable than before and are able to stay in the home they love.
The challenges that come with aging are changing and becoming more complicated. But with your support, we could help more people overcome those challenges and live healthy, engaged, and independent lives.
Will you please consider offering a gift to VPAS as part of our Annual Campaign? Your gift will help us to provide home assessments, case management, nutritious meals, senior transportation, Medicare consultation, health programs, caregiver support and much more for an increasing number of neighbors - just like Mr. and Mrs. N. - who desperately need them. Go to vpas.info/donate to contribute online, or send your check to VPAS, PO Box 817, Waynesboro, VA 22980.
Your gift of any size will change lives and help us create the kind of community where everyone can age well.
Sincerely,
Beth Bland Executive Director