Paid Partnership
As we get older, our determination to remain as independent as possible remains. My elderly Grandparents, who are in their mid-80’s, are fiercely independent. They want to do their own thing in their own time, the way they’ve always done it without little help or fuss from anyone. Unfortunately, in recent years as their health deteriorates, and the pandemic, it’s not the safest time for my Grandparents to walk down to the supermarket with a pocketful of cash. Even accepting help from a neighbour, handing over a £20 note and expecting to get the correct change in return can be a huge risk. GuardianCard want to help and have introduced a safe, simple and secure solution of taking care of an older relative’s finances.
Keeping independence in later life
GuardianCard enables families to give their elderly relatives their independence whilst keeping an eye on their best interests. GuardianCard allows a cardholder to remotely manage the card and has all the functionality of a debit card, without the worry.
Did you know that lending a trusted friend or a carer your debit card can be seen as fraud and any losses would not be covered by the bank..
With GuardianCard, the cardholder can issue a physical or virtual card to a relative or issue as carer’s shopping card with a credit limit controlled by them. It’s the safest way to allow elderly relatives to pay for something as they go about their daily lives.
Financial abuse is a real worry
According to a recent survey by GuardianCard, a quarter of people aged 70 plus, have suffered financial abuse. ‘Temptation theft’ is on the rise and occurs when someone you thought you could trust slips a little something for themselves in to the shopping basket. Alarmingly, it’s results like this and stories I’ve heard from my own Grandparents that makes it shockingly real.
Whilst they always try to rely on online food shopping, you never know when you’re going to run out of that loaf of bread or pint of milk. My Grandad, who has dementia, wants to shop on his own with a pocket full of cash. In the past, he has, in good faith, handed over notes to the cashier at a supermarket and been given the wrong change in return. Unfortunately this hasn’t been an isolated case of cashier error but something as a family we have been unable to prove.
Providing the freedom to shop safely
Taking away my Grandad’s independence isn’t the option. Giving him the freedom to shop safely with GuardianCard is something we are keen to explore. The GuardianCard allows us help manage their money by viewing online statements, getting real-time notifications, setting a spending limit and blocking or unblocking a card with the touch of a button. There is no risk of overspend or debt which is hugely important for us. As we don’t live locally, should a neighbour or carer need to fetch groceries for my Grandparents, the GuardianCard can safely keep an eye on what has been bought. This gives us as a family, peace of mind that my Grandparents are not being taken advantage of.
GuardianCard can be used in shops, online, at cash machines and overseas. The card allows you to use it anywhere!
Our experience with GuardianCard
The GuardianCard gives us real peace of mind. The card is very easy to use and my Grandparents can use the card via contactless in the shops. Alternatively, they can easily use the GuardianCard online too which gives them reassurance that their other accounts (and debit cards won’t be used online). We especially like the ability to have real-time notifications whenever there is spending from the card. This can help us keep a watchful eye on my Grandparents finances and ensure they’re not being financially abused.
We are hoping that with GuardianCard my Grandparents can safely accept help from a neighbour to help get them the essentials they may need, should they need it in the future. As much as I want to wrap them up in cotton wool, their independence is one of the last things they have left to control. It is so important to them and to us, to keep it.
