As a Geriatric Care Manager and home care provider for more than 10 years, I have recently seen an alarming increase in the number of cases of elder financial abuse. Phone calls from family and friends of older adults urge me to help protect their loved ones after they discover their loved ones are victims of financial abuse. It becomes my job to set up safety nets so such abuse does not happen again. As a member of the Lafayette (CA) Senior Service Commission, I decided it was important to incorporate such safety nets for all of Lafayette residents through an Elder Abuse Prevention Program. My first action step was to educate the public of the elements of elder abuse.

The majority of crimes against older adults are committed by family members, friends and caregivers. The Institute of Aging describes elder financial abuse as “taking, secreting or appropriating money or property of an elder or dependent adult by a person who has the care or custody of, or who stands in a position of trust to, that elder or dependent adult.” In Contra Costa County, CA, a caregiver and her family embezzled more than $800,000 from an elderly man with no immediate family. The abuse went undiscovered until a distant relative came to visit and found her uncle destitute. The uncle, feeling dependent on the caregiver, had given her full reign of his finances. Little did the victim know that he was supporting her entire family.

Older persons should be wary of friends, family or caregivers who express unusual interest in their financial affairs. It is sometimes helpful to choose a trusted family member or friend to disclose financial matters to and thereby thwart possible abuse. Relatives and friends can help to protect older adults from such abuse by looking for signs of suspected financial abuse. Some warning signs are irregular patterns of spending, frequent withdrawals of cash, purchasing inappropriate items, unpaid bills or a “new best friend.”

Also on the rise is financial abuse committed by total strangers through Internet scams, lottery and sweepstake offers, home improvement companies, identity theft, predatory lending and living trust mills. In one case a woman was paying a bogus Florida lottery company $500 per month for the promise of a large payout. When a family friend started to help the woman pay her monthly bills, she found that thousands of dollars already sent to the company. Here, as in many such cases, the abuse would have gone undetected and unreported without accidental intervention. Even when the abuse is discovered by the victim, many fail to report the abuse out of embarrassment, disbelief or denial.

To protect against abuse, older adults should follow a few basic rules:

• Be wary of allowing strangers into your home, as many con artists offer home repairs or other services to gain access.
• Remember that nothing is free—throw away sweepstake checks and never send money to receive a “free prize.”
• Obtain professional legal advice when making changes to a will or trust.
• Never give social security numbers or other personal information in an email or website.

People who believe they or someone else may be a victim of elder financial abuse should contact their local Area Agency of Aging. Reporting such abuse is vital to the protection of all older adults.