> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smartseniordaily.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Access Plan Every Dementia Family Needs: Lock In Safety, Lock Out Scammers - URL: https://www.smartseniordaily.com/the-access-plan-every-dementia-family-needs-lock-in-safety-lock-out-scammers/ - Published: 2026-10-16T08:49:01.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-16T08:49:00.000Z - Description: Do you know how to set up a legacy contact or memorialization setting on social media? - Author: Sue Ryan - Tags: Scams, Scam Alerts *By Sue Ryan, Co-founder of The Caregiver’s Journey* When my husband Jack was diagnosed, we got to work right away, while he could still make every decision himself. We got the paperwork done, the passwords shared, the permissions set up properly. We monitored every folder in our files and continuously reviewed each piece of mail to convert everything possible to digital. I've watched other families live through exactly what we avoided: a password only their loved one knew, a power of attorney missing the one clause that would have made it usable, a form that needed a signature that was, by then, no longer legally valid, a loved one being scammed. I want you to live my story, not theirs. **Spoiler alert:* The first resistance is often with your loved one not wanting to do this or thinking they don’t need it. If you think your loved one may resist, make it a family activity instead of a single ask. Family members update their own information and share it with someone they trust. I’ve had numerous caregivers share how glad they were they made it a family exercise and tell me they found holes in their own security measures.* ## Taking Action Here are some major categories with action items for each one. ### Banking and Financial Accounts *Covers: checking, savings, credit cards, brokerage and retirement accounts, loans.* **Get a** [**durable power of attorney**](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/durable%5Fpower%5Fof%5Fattorney?ref=smartseniordaily.com) **drafted now, with specific Medicaid and VA planning language built in when appropriate, before a diagnosis affects your loved one's legal capacity to sign anything**. Call each institution and ask what else they offer. Many banks and all brokerages have some version of a trusted contact or fraud-alert option you can add with one phone call, though exactly what's available varies by institution. [POA? DNR? Do You Have Yours? Can You Find It in 10 Minutes?Included: A full state-by-state guide to help you find DNR/POLST forms.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/SSD-FavIcon1-9a052be5-0f31-4e3a-9fa2-0637e9ef3c85.png)Smart Senior DailySmart Senior Daily Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/DNR-Form-1-1-9233ac0e-73d5-4e8e-b98e-481f5605f1bd.png)](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/poa-dnr-do-you-have-yours-can-you-find-it-in-10-minutes/) ### Digital Credentials and Email *Covers: email, cloud storage, and any account that uses a single sign-on provider as its login method.* **If your loved one doesn't already have a** [**password management solution**](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/passwords-passkeys-permission-sharing-for-seniors/)**, set one up with an emergency-access feature so all login information is in one place.** Two respected options: [1Password](https://1password.com/?ref=smartseniordaily.com) and [Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com/?ref=smartseniordaily.com). Designate a backup contact who can get in if needed. Look for accounts that use "single sign-on," meaning one account (often through a provider like [Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102609?ref=smartseniordaily.com) or [Google](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/12849458?ref=smartseniordaily.com)) is used to log into several other sites and apps at once. [Your Will Covers Your House. Does It Cover Your Email?Included: a downloadable worksheet to help you get started![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/SSD-FavIcon1-c28f8418-7fa3-4e79-9859-ade157eb2519.png)Smart Senior DailyGary P Guthrie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/Digital-Legacy-2b-4f64f795-0735-493b-b13a-9dade0842560.png)](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/your-will-covers-your-house-does-it-cover-your-email/) ### Device Access: Face ID, Fingerprints, and the Passcode (PIN) Behind Them *Covers: phone and computer lock screens secured by Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint.* Each device that offers a [biometric](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/biometric-authentication?ref=smartseniordaily.com) option also has a backup built in: the device passcode or [PIN](https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/training/formulate-strong-passwords-and-pin-codes?ref=smartseniordaily.com). **This number, not the face or finger, is the one credential that works every time**, including after a restart or too many failed attempts. Write it down and store it with other passwords. Make sure you know the rules for each device they use. ### Healthcare and Insurance Portals *Covers: MyChart and similar patient portals, Medicare or Medicaid accounts, pharmacy logins.* **Most** [**patient portals**](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000880.htm?ref=smartseniordaily.com) **let your family add you directly online right now, through a "share my record" or "manage representatives" setting; no office visit needed**. This requires their active login and consent. Set this up now, because once decision-making capacity is in question, it becomes a paper process requiring proof of power of attorney or guardianship. [SSD Peace of Mind Checklist BundleMembers can download our checklist bundle which features many of the things-to-do listed hereSSD Checklist Bundle 2026-FINAL-format update.pdf780 KBdownload-circle](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/content/files/2026/10/SSD-Checklist-Bundle-2026-FINAL-format-update-1.pdf "Download") ### Subscriptions and Recurring Bills *Covers: streaming services, memberships, utilities, software subscriptions billed monthly or annually.* **Review 13 months of checking and credit card statements so you find recurring, quarterly, and annual charges**. List every recurring item and which account or card pays for it so nothing gets missed. ### Social Media *Covers: Facebook, Instagram, and similar platforms.* **Set a** [**legacy contact**](https://www.facebook.com/help/1070665206293088) **or** [**memorialization setting**](https://www.facebook.com/help/103897939701143) **now.** It's an easy setting that few people use and many families wish they had. Hint: Something else to do as a family. ### Shopping and Loyalty Accounts *Covers: Amazon and other retailers with saved payment methods, cloud photo storage, loyalty and rewards programs with stored value.* **Note which accounts have stored payment methods or points balances worth protecting.** These are often overlooked until a card on file gets compromised or a balance expires. ### Scams, Fraud, and Credit Protection *Covers: phone calls, texts, emails, investment offers.* Americans age 60 and older filed over 201,000 internet-crime complaints in 2025 and reported losing nearly $7.75 billion, up 59% from the year before, often through confusion around a new diagnosis. **Options to reduce and stop most of it:** [**call-blocking apps**](https://www.fcc.gov/call-blocking?ref=smartseniordaily.com) **and** [**carrier spam filters**](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts?ref=smartseniordaily.com)**, calling back on a number you look up yourself, and a family safe word that stops an AI voice clone**. If something does go wrong, the [National Elder Fraud Hotline](https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope?ref=smartseniordaily.com) (833-372-8311) and [IC3.gov](https://www.ic3.gov/?ref=smartseniordaily.com) are the fastest paths to help. ### Mail and Physical Documents *Covers: paper statements, checks, official notices.* **Research what comes in the mail and what’s in your loved one's paper files.** Make everything possible electronic. ### Start Now, Not During the Crisis **Start with your most important category.** One phone call to add a trusted contact. One conversation about passwords. You'll never regret doing this too early, only too late. --- [Getting the Most Out of Doctor’s Visits: Four Tips / Alzheimer’s �We’re sharing insights about how to rethink your role at medical appointments from Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a clinical neuropsychologist and founder of the Brain Health Center. Dr. Nussbaum has spent d![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/cropped-TCJ-three-letter-blue-with-orange-high-res-270x270-c3e3e7b1-93de-49f1-a744-0b805d1ba65e.png)The Caregiver's JourneyNancy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/72.-Getting-the-most-out-of-Doctor-Visits-f0491e3d-7dfb-449c-a557-51858c125d81.png)](https://thecaregiversjourney.org/72-getting-the-most-out-of-doctors-visits-four-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias/?ref=smartseniordaily.com) *Be sure to subscribe to the award-winning* [*The Caregiver’s Journey podcast*](https://thecaregiversjourney.org/podcast/?ref=smartseniordaily.com) *where Sue is a co-host. To listen to one of their latest episodes, click above.*