Martin was an 80 year old citizen of North Dakota. He had relatives who lived far away and were only able to visit periodically. Although he is up in age, he still does all the things he needs to live from day to day. With a little help from his neighbors he gets along just fine. He is living where he wants to live, and around people who check on him from time to time.

The weather was brutal in the winter months so he did not get out much. There is too much uncertainty for a man of his age to be wandering around outside. One day while sitting at home alone, there came a knock at the door. Its was a fairly young guy with a clean demeanor.

He said he was from the Gas Company and was sent out to warn residents of a gas leak from the construction around the street. Martin was well aware of the construction around the street so he did not think twice and opened the door. At that moment, the guy forced his way inside by shoving Martin back

He locked the door and proceeded to search the house. He demanded money and jewelry. Martin was a tough old man and volunteered very little to the attacker. Martin did not see a weapon, so he tried to attract help by talking really loud. When he got close enough to the nightstand he turned the TV on, which had the volume set at its highest level. This was normal for him. If the volume went down the neighbors knew he was all right. If it stayed high they knew he needed help and would rush over.

The intruder tried to turn it off, but could not operate the remote. The burglar was getting frustrated and afraid of being caught. He continued fumbling trying to turn the TV off . Fearing that the neighbors would soon come to investigate. The Burglar left the house and ran down the street.

The elderly have always been victims and targets of crime. Criminals view them as good targets because the are usually on fixed incomes and settled into a routine. They sometimes live alone, which makes them more of a target. They grew up in simpler times so they are trusting. They expect neighbors to be helpful to them, as they would be to them.

So it is not surprising that they fall victim to the con artists and thugs of today. Elderly people living alone are especially vulnerable. They must learn to defend themselves, but many of them fear guns. Lots of them have dogs but find it difficult to do all the things necessary to take care of a pet. They have a limited amount of money and may not be able to afford professional pet care.

There are panic buttons for the elderly, but again they cost money to maintain. Being aware and double checking strangers will keep elderly people out of trouble. Electronic bill payments and other functions of the computer can be lifesavers. They keep elderly people from making unnecessary trips to businesses.

If you are elderly and living alone, you can place self defense devices through out your home. Only you should know where they are. They might include noisemakers, panic buttons if economically feasible, and others. You can also have someone that you trust call you periodically.

You can give them a word that if you use will alert them to call for help. This is call a duress word. It is a system used in many prominent businesses and the military to identify hostage situations or other trouble. The key to its effectiveness is secrecy.