Warning Signs of Abuse, Fraud and Neglect of Seniors
June, 2019
Characteristics of potential victims
- Advanced age
- Stroke
- Dementia or other cognitive impairment
- Physical, mental or emotional distress
- Depression
- Recent bereavements or divorce
- Social isolation
- Taking multiple medications
- Frailty
Characteristics of potential perpetrators
- In the 16-64 age range
- Paid or family caregivers of victim
- Family of victim or known by victim
- Lives with the victim
- Perpetrator may have financial, relationship, drug, alcohol or gambling problems
Signs of Abuse or Neglect
Lack of care
- Evidence of lack of care e.g. lack of clothing, food and other necessities
- Unkempt home where the victim used to be house proud
- Untreated medical problems
- Lack of provisions of services, unpaid bills
Social isolation
- Discontinued relationships with friends and family
- Increased dependence on perpetrator
- Sudden heavy traffic in and out of the home
- New acquaintances
- Caregivers or family members having an excessive interest in amount of money being spent on the elderly person
- Mutual dependence on another
- Perpetrator acting as gatekeeper
Visits to health care providers
- Unmet physical needs
- Missed medical appointments
- Dropping out of treatment
- Declining physical and psychological health
- Defensiveness by caregiver during visits or on telephone and unwillingness by caregiver to leave the victim along during appointments
- Removing victim from custodial care against medical advice
Financial
- Missing paperwork
- Missing belongings or property
- Evasive or implausible explanations
- Lack of awareness or confusion of the victim of recent transactions
- The victim being afraid or worried about talking about finances
- Unpaid bills, late notices
- Eviction notices
- Credit card fraud or abuse
Conduct of banking transactions
- Unexplained transfers out of accounts
- Unusual or unexplained sudden activity
- Large withdrawal when the elderly person is accompanied by another
- Frequent transfers or ATM withdrawals
- Change of address for statements or check books
- Suspicious signatures
- Inclusion of another name on bank card
- Suspicious credit card activity (unauthorized or uncustomary purchases or expenses)
- ATM withdrawals by housebound person
- Online banking by person with no internet connection enabled device and no IT experience to make electronic withdrawals
- Person with no awareness of personal financial affairs
- Unusual number of checks written to cash
Legal transactions
- Signing Powers of Attorney when confused or does not understand or remember the transaction
- Forged signatures
- Changes in their property, Wills or other documents such as Powers of Attorney, where they are unexpected, sudden or in favor of new acquaintances
- Sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming rights to the victim’s person, affairs and/or possessions.
- Unexpected changed in legal advisors
Immediate action to be taken
- Speak to the victim
- Speak to non-involved family or trusted friend if consent from victim
- Protect finances and property if possible against further misappropriation
- If suspicion or evidence of abuse, neglect and/or criminal offense having taken place call the police, County and State Protective Services of Aging and Adult Services, District Attorney, private counsel
- Consult an Elder Law Attorney for advice to redress issues, prevent, safeguard in advance by drafting appropriate documents such as Powers of Attorney, remove representatives and/or institute Guardianship, etc.
- Please contact us with any questions or concerns whatsoever