December is pegged as a time for merriment and joy. But is also the season when elders among us are especially vulnerable to perils that can spoil holiday spirits.

I can say from personal experience that aging complicates life. Diminished eyesight, hearing, memory, aching bodies and common health issues may all put us out of sorts. And, as we stay busy with the daily chores and special events we enjoy at the close of the year, it’s easy to get distracted and risk experiencing unpleasant incidents.

The holiday period is a prime time for petty crime. Purse snatchers and pickpockets find it easy to prey on victims who may carry large sums of cash while they go about shopping and dining out.  Many thieves are apt at stealthy methods to lift their booty. Older folks make great targets.

Leave your handbag in a supermarket shopping cart or hung on the back of a café chair and your valuables can disappear in a flash. The same can occur to a wallet hastily stashed in a back pocket, or a cell phone left resting on a tabletop or storekeeper’s counter.   

Aside from that, many seniors—myself included—can lose track while engaging in business transactions. We have to take care to secure our belongings every time we go through the checkout line, pay cashiers for our purchases and cover the bills for meals out.

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