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Caregiver Safety, Scam Prevention and Planning

Reviewed October 15, 2026 · Happy to Help Caregiving

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Choose the route that fits the situation. Immediate danger needs emergency help. Concerns about abuse or neglect belong with the appropriate protective-services agency. A suspected scam needs a different response from a home-safety review or a conversation about future care wishes.

For possible financial fraud, use an independently verified contact for the bank or account provider and follow the FTC's recovery guidance. Keep relevant messages and transaction details for the responsible organization. Avoid using a number supplied by the person who requested money or account access.

For everyday planning, work through one task at a time: walking through the home, deciding who can speak with providers, organizing a care calendar, or discussing care wishes. Legal forms and financial authority depend on the situation and state. Use the official guides to prepare questions, and seek qualified legal or clinical advice where needed.

Build your next step

  1. Step 1

    Address immediate safety first

    For a medical emergency or immediate danger, contact emergency services. For other urgent concerns, use the official crisis or protective-services resources below. A Happy to Help inquiry is not an emergency response.

  2. Step 2

    Use a trusted contact route

    Open the responsible organization's official site yourself. For scams, record what happened and ask the financial provider about protective steps without sharing passwords or verification codes with an unexpected caller.

  3. Step 3

    Build a usable care record

    Keep agreed routines, important contacts and follow-up tasks in a place the appropriate helpers can access. Share sensitive health, financial and legal details only through the private channels each organization provides.

Questions to bring

  • Which organization handles this kind of concern?
  • What information should we preserve or report privately?
  • Who has permission to make the decision or speak for the person?
  • What follow-up or professional advice is needed?

Find the right organization

Choose a national starting point or a local resource below. County boundaries and program rules matter. Ask each provider about its current requirements, costs and access before making arrangements.

National starting points

Idaho

Utah

West Virginia

Pennsylvania

Ohio