A new Netflix movie about scammers has stirred a lot of concern amongst Baby Boomers and their children as it relates to assisted living care.
The blockbuster is called “I Care A Lot.” The film starts with the presumption that there are no good people, and that everyone is ruthless, greedy, and self-absorbed. It’s intrinsically woven together in an intriguing way.
According to the film’s main protagonist, there are two types of people in this world:
- The people who take
- Those who get taken
Line upon line, the script aims to prove life is about predators and prey, lions and lambs.
Coincidently, the writer and director J. Blakeson uses nursing homes as the central theme of fraudulent money scams.
When starting from defining everyone as evil, the end result is that it doesn’t matter how you treat people as long as you get what you need.
The successful residential assisted living model proves that this premise isn’t true. There are countless people who genuinely care about quality senior living.
People are flawed, for sure, but there is plenty of good in the world, and we believe it is our purpose to spread that goodness around.
It’s one of the reasons why the Residential Assisted Living Academy motto is “Do Good and Do Well.”
There’s no value in attaining wealth and success if you end up hurting people along the way.
But could the events in this film really happen?
IS THE MOVIE “I CARE A LOT” FACT OR FICTION?
Jonathan Blakeson didn’t reveal what person inspired the main antagonist Marla’s character, but many viewers speculate on Marla’s similarities to a guardian named April Parks.
Sentenced in 2019, Parks went to prison for 16-40 years, owing $500,000 in restitution.
A 2017 New Yorker article, “How the Elderly Lose Their Rights,” was also featured in a 2020 Netflix episode titled, “Dirty Money.”
The episode revealed that scammers could convince judges to appoint them as legal guardians with minimal effort.
As seen in, I Care A Lot, Marla Grayson files emergency petitions which allow her to quickly become guardian over numerous seniors without the consent, input, or appearance of the seniors in court.
The movie is indeed fiction, but can something like this happen to an older person?
The persuasive synopsis highlights unique ways that hustlers make money off abusing the finances of the elderly.
The Grift
From the scam’s start, a doctor selects an elderly patient who looks like a good candidate for guardianship. These seniors are typically seniors with solid financial means, not too old, but possibly on the brink of dementia.
These characteristics allow for seniors who have longer lifespans that will enable the scammers to benefit more financially.
As a result, the judge signs a court order asserting the need for someone to step in and help with daily living and guardianship activities.
A legal guardian shows up, and a driver whisks the senior away to a nursing home. She’s escorted into a private room and drained from every penny.
The Netflix movie, “I Care A Lot,” provides insight into how devious and conniving assisted living business owners scam seniors out of their life savings.
In the movie, Marla Grayson makes a living by convincing the legal system with her quick-witted legal jargon to grant her guardianship over seniors.
In essence, it depicts details as to how vulnerable people are susceptible to being financially swindled.
AVOIDING ELDERLY FINANCIAL ABUSE
“I Care A Lot” is not a far-fetched premise. Elder financial abuse comes in many forms and is a crime that remains fairly prevalent throughout America.
Estimated in 2019, it cost seniors about $2.9 billion.
About 10,000 people turn age 65 every day, and 4,000 seniors turn 85 daily. Additionally, people over 50 years and older control 70 percent of the country’s wealth.
As a result, schemes and scams will only get worse as baby boomers age.
Illegal activities and hustles that impact seniors include forged checks, stolen jewelry, email scams, credit card misuse, and identity theft.
Isolation is the bullseye for criminals who target and take advantage of seniors. However, more than strangers, family members are often the victimizers.
There is good news though, seniors can help protect themselves with the best assisted living choices.
Six Steps for Seniors to Keep Their Finances Safe
- Create a plan to protect your assets using a trustworthy beneficiary.
- Secure bank statements, checkbooks, and financial documents.
- Routinely review your credit report.
- Never provide personal data over the phone.
- Secure second opinions before signing documents.
- Consistently stay connected with family members.
People are people. They are driven by basic human emotions and have similar motivations. There is a dark side to some elements of senior living. After all, there’s a human element in the senior living industry.
There will always be opportunistic individuals waiting on the sidelines to take advantage of other people no matter what their age. That doesn’t mean every Doctor, Lawyer, Judge, or Assisted Living Community is bad. “I Care A Lot” is about people, with low morals and questionable integrity, using a system that was intended to help people who can not take care of themselves. Could this happen? Absolutely. Is it common? Absolutely not.
However, the preferred residential assisted living model endorsed by Gene Guarino and experts at the Residential Assisted Living Academy, is the antidote to protect seniors from unscrupulous people.
The “I Care A Lot” Netflix movie is about scammers, not senior care.
Contrary to the movie, working hard and playing fair can lead to real success without jeopardizing honesty or integrity.
Scamming seniors is a disgrace. Assisted living homes developed by students of the RAL Academy do things differently from big box senior living facilities.
Seniors’ health and happiness are the primary concern in our residential assisted living model which enables the elderly to live as independently as possible.
ETHICAL AND EXCELLENT CARE
The model of senior care offered at the Residential Assisted Living Academy outlines an ethical experience with competitive prices.
We believe that seniors deserve the best quality care level, and Gene Guarino is teaching entrepreneurs how to provide it for them nationwide.
The RAL brand is raising the standard of senior living and making the industry better for the elderly in need of transition.
There are known problems throughout the senior care industry, so professionals are engaging with solutions across the country.
Small residential assisted living homes provide seniors a safe and comfortable living solution with the highest quality care.
REDEFINING THE FRAMEWORK OF ASSISTED LIVING TO BENEFIT SENIORS
The movie “I Care A Lot” actually serves as a reminder to keep vigilant over the affairs of our precious seniors, and to ensure that seniors in need of assistance with activities of daily living get the quality help they deserve.
The Residential Assisted Living Academy offers training for those who are interested in making a difference in the senior community while providing a lasting financial legacy for their own families. The RAL Academy trains entrepreneurs to provide quality care without taking control over financial assets.
Students learn everything from A-Z about owning, investing, and operating a residential assisted living home – this includes identifying red flags for elderly financial abuse.
- Lack of awareness or confusion
- Poor decision making
- Unusual ATM withdrawals
- Uncharacteristic changes to wills or trusts
- New questionable relationships
Visit www.RALAcademy.com to register for the next 3-day course to start building your legacy and help make our country a safer place for seniors to enjoy their golden years.
Gene Guarino and his team of assisted living experts will walk you through the process of doing good and doing well without experiencing the dark side of senior living.
