Another form of abuse that a senior may suffer is financial abuse. Financial abuse is sometimes difficult to spot and unless a family member is paying close attention to the elder’s finances, they may not realize what is going on before it is too late.
Often times, the victim is ashamed to tell a family member. Other times, they may fear retribution by the person or persons involved in taking their money. Some elderly patients suffer from dementia or other types of illnesses which make it easy for them to be taken advantage of. Even in cases where an elderly person is not ill, the perpetrator may blame the victim’s memory Saying it’s because of their age that they don’t remember what happened to their money.
An elderly patient may come to trust their caregiver and give them access to their finances without really know the caregiver or their background. An unscrupulous caregiver may talk an elderly patient in to signing assets over to them. If and when financial abuse is detected, it may be difficult to determine how it happened. Did the elder willingly surrender their assets? Did they want to give a cash gift? The caregiver who preys on the elderly may tell you that it was the victim’s idea.
Unfortunately, in these types of situations, once the assets and money are gone, it is extremely difficult to re-coup it. It is important for family and friends of an elderly person to be aware of financial abuse. Signs of the abuse may include a lack of funds for everyday items. The victim may be afraid of their caregiver. They may seemed depressed or angry. They may ask family and friends for money or they may be trying to save what they have left by changing their financial arrangements.
If you know an elderly person who you believe is being financially abused, call us today and speak to one of our experienced Nursing Home Abuse attorneys.
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