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[ethercat]

Scientology goes after people from all walks of life in its quest to expand - business people, professionals, blue collar workers, civil servants, students, and even the unemployed; the weak and vulnerable, the strong and powerful, as well as the middle-of-the-roaders; the rich, the average income earners, and even the poor; the young, the young-at-heart, the middle-aged, and the retirees. 

You would think there would be at least one segment of society that would be off-limits for the so-called "Church" of Scientology, but even the elderly are not safe from scientology! 

New Era Seniors International (NESI) is a front group that targets the elderly, primarily through solicitation of donations, events, and volunteers, although one of their plans is to offer housing.  It appears they also provide services to individuals seeking advice and counseling.

There are two websites, the newer one: http://www.neweraseniors.org/ and the older one: http://www.dwebsite.com/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5button=2870

it is not mentioned on the sites that they are connected to scientology, however to those who are familiar with scientology, it is apparent that it is scientology.   If you dig around enough on the sites, you will find mention of Dianetics, such as on this page: http://www.neweraseniors.org/?page_id=28

This newsletter page contains the following creepy paragraph:

LIFE TRANSITION POSTING

NESI proudly welcomes its new “Life Transition” Consultant, Julie Schwartz. Julie is very experienced in helping those who have decided the time has come to move on. She helps them wrap up their cycles and takes them shopping for a new body! There’s nothing like being at cause over one’s future! Wonderful! Just wonderful! Welcome Julie.

It's also a little creepy that their "In memory" page simply says, "Coming soon."

In just a few years, the elderly will make up the largest segment of society as baby boomers age, so they are preparing in advance to target this segment.  I wonder if they already have any legitimate non-scientology organizations lending them credibility, or if there's a way we can raise awareness before they become something to contend with on a larger scale.

[mefree]

A vulnerable group. Frequently, the elderly fall victim to scams.

[ethercat]

A vulnerable group. Frequently, the elderly fall victim to scams.

Yes, they do.  It sometimes amazes me, the scams some of the elderly will fall victim to.  I don't know whether it has to do with the period of time they grew up in, when fraud allowed to proliferate so readily; or if they become more trusting in their older years.  If anything, I have become more wary of others as I have gotten older.

This group, NESI, has the following on their "Our Purposes" page:

To protect older adults in their vulnerable years, from the harmful psychiatric treatments and drugs that damage and dull the spirit.

Nowhere on the site do I see any mention of protecting them from scams or fraud, or any mention of teaching them to recognize such.  A better service than what they provide would be to assist the elderly in learning the things they should watch out for, to spot groups, organizations, and people who would try to take advantage of them.  There may be such services, but offhand, I don't know of any.