Being vigilant and having difficult conversations can help keep your elderly family members and friends safe.
Elder abuse comes in many forms, from physical, emotional and sexual abuse to financial abuse. As our population ages, it can be difficult to protect them from the rising rates of elder abuse, as many Americans are unable to care for friends and family members full-time and must turn to in-home caregivers, nursing homes and long-term care facilities to provide care. However, there are steps that we can take to safeguard our parents, aunts, uncles, and other loved ones from all types of elder abuse — including financial abuse.
Financial abuse can happen in a number of ways. A caregiver could take valuable items from an elderly person, or steal cash or checks. He or she could convince an older person to put his or her name on an account, or even to take significant steps like putting his name in a will or signing over a title to property like a house or car.
One of the most effective ways to prevent all types of elder abuse is to visit often, and to change up your visiting pattern. Do not visit at a set time and day; go at different times on different days so that your loved ones’ caregivers will not be able to prepare for your visit. Watch for red flags like unpaid bills, excessive spending, behavioral changes or withdrawal demeanor. If you live too far away to visit regularly, call often, and ask someone who lives close by to visit frequently and report back to you.
The next step in protecting your loved ones from financial abuse is to have a frank conversation about their finances and their wishes. You will need to understand their financial situation, and make sure that their wishes are memorialized while they are legally able to do so (particularly if they have dementia or another cognitive issue). Find out who their lawyer is, and make sure that all of their legal paperwork is in order, such as a power of attorney, a will, and other documentation. This will help to protect your loved one in the event that he is unable to make decisions for himself in the future.
When it comes time to select caregivers, be sure that you get recommendations and thoroughly vet any and all candidates. This is true of both long term care facilities and in-home care providers. If you are hiring someone to provide care at your friend or family member’s home, you should use a licensed agency that does criminal background checks. Make sure that financial documents and cards are not easily accessible, and that valuables are also put away.
Elder financial abuse has the potential to devastate a loved one in the later years of his or her life. Financial abuse is also often accompanied by other types of abuse, such as physical, emotional or sexual abuse. You can take steps to prevent elder abuse by following this guidance and by monitoring your friend or family member to make sure that they are receiving appropriate care. If your loved one has suffered abuse at the hands of a caretaker or a nursing facility, you will need an experienced elder care attorney to help you get the money that your loved one deserves for his or her losses. At PLBH, our attorneys are highly skilled at representing families whose loved ones have suffered elder abuse. We will thoroughly investigate each case to obtain compensation for injuries suffered, and we will never charge a fee unless we get money for you. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at (800) 435-7542 or info@plblaw.com.