Area Agency on Aging

It’s that time of year again, tax filing season! Now that those W-2’s and 1099’s have arrived so are the calls, e-mails, texts, and sometimes mailings from scammers pretending to be from the IRS.   These scammers will claim you owe money or there’s an issue with your return and they need you to confirm sensitive information such as your social security numbers and date of birth. Don’t fall for these attempts to phish for your information or steal your hard-earned money.

The information in your tax return contains everything that a scam artist needs to steal your identity, file tax returns on your behalf, or even steal your refund. Be vigilant and never provide any sensitive information over the telephone. Many of us are aware of the scam calls claiming to be from the IRS and telling consumers they’ll be arrested if they don’t submit payment over the phone via gift cards. The IRS will never make contact in this manner nor will they ever ask you to pay a tax debt by wiring the money or purchasing gift cards.  The good news is the federal government has made some progress in combating these scam calls.  In recent years some of these scam artists, many located on the other side of the world, have been arrested and extradited to the US to face charges for their nefarious actions scamming consumer’s out of millions of dollars and impersonating federal government officials. Always verify the legitimacy of a mailing, call, e-mail, or text message before taking any action requested in the message or clicking on any links. It’s best to go to the website for the agency the correspondence claims to be from and locate a legitimate number you can call to verify the authenticity. Unfortunately in recent years scammers have even attempted to send fraudulent mailings posing as the IRS using different return addresses to phish for personal information that can be used steal your identity or file   a fraudulent return and intercept a refund.

HomeShare The Ivins Outreach Center, in partnership with the Bucks County Area Agency on Agency is very excited to announce a new program, HOME SHARE, that will be launched in Spring 2023. HOME SHARE an affordable housing choice that brings together a homeowner (provider) who has a room to spare and a person (seeker) who is looking for a place to live. The provider and seeker each have a private bedroom, but both have full use of the rest of the provider’s home. There are many benefits derived from such a housing strategy and there are many types of participants – for example, senior citizens, working professionals, students, individuals who cannot find affordable housing, single parents, or have reduced income because of Ivins House logoa loss of full-time work – or those who simply want to share their lives and home with others. If you are interested in learning more about Home Share, in sharing your home with another or seeking to share someone’s home, please contact the Ivins Outreach Center Home Share Counselor at 215-428-0500.

The Bucks County Area Agency on Aging advises older adults to use caution during extreme cold weather conditions, and want to alert seniors and their families about a few measures that can be taken: 

• General safety precautions include keeping a 3-day supply of food and bottled water and to make sure your heat source is in good running order. It is also good to have a plentiful supply of any medications you take. 

• The AAA has applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that may provide assistance with heating bills for low-income persons. 

• The public can help decrease the risk to seniors by checking on their older relatives, neighbors and friends. Persons who live alone may be especially at risk. A face-to-face visit is ideal, but if you cannot visit, a telephone call will help. 

• The AAA offers a variety of programs to help older adults remain independent at home. These services may be available for those who qualify.

For more information, contact the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging at 267-880-5700, and ask for the Information and Referral Department.

Get help from PA MEDI by calling 267-880-5700. Their highly trained counselors will help you to understand your benefits and provide you with free, unbiased information regarding plans for the upcoming year.

Report Elder Abuse

To report elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation or abandonment, call our 24 hour hotline: 1-800-243-3767.


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