Ridgefield Lawyer Warns of the Financial Exploitation of Elderly

RIDGEFIELD, CT— A seasoned elder lawyer will tell you statistics don’t lie, and the statistics say elder abuse is very common in— America today. According to the National Council on Aging, 10 percent of people 60 and over experience elder abuse. Elder abuse normally means physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, or financial exploitation. However, it can take other forms too.

Elder lawyers also know the most prevalent form of elder abuse is financial exploitation. It often occurs by close family members, friends or caregivers. A family member who would normally think their mother is safe when their brother is taking care of her, or because her aide comes from a reputable agency. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case, according to elder lawyer John Sweeney, who deals with this unfortunate issue on a regular basis.

"It's very sad to think this would happen but it does. I've seen cases of family members including children, grandchildren and even nieces and nephews of the elderly who have abused elders in cases of financial exploitation," said Sweeney. "Of course, they have easy access to the elderly person’s finances and take advantage of their trust and relationship."

According to the National Adult Protective Services, 90 percent of the time the abuser is someone that the elderly person knows and trusts.

"The fact is that financial abuse often goes together with neglect of the elderly person. It is common to deny them medical care, food and necessities to use the funds for the relative or caregiver," said Sweeney.
According to Sweeney, the most common patterns of exploitation used by family members are as follows:

• Denying medical care to the elderly person and diverting the money to themselves
• Denying food to the elderly person and diverting the money to themselves
• Taking money from joint bank accounts for their own uses
• Using a Power of Attorney to take money and assets
• Paying their own bills with the elderly persons money
• Using their undue influence to change Wills, beneficiary designations, and powers of attorney

Sweeney also said that the elderly often have long-term effects as a result of abuse which include the following:

• Depression
• Feelings of guilt, fear, failure, and anxiety
• Loss of trust and confidence
• Loss of their house
• Physical Deterioration
• Premature death from illness

In Connecticut, there is a "Protective Service for the Elderly" program run by the Department of Social Services who responds to reports of elder maltreatment. The organization works to implement a plan of care to address the issues. Most states have specific laws against elder abuse as well as mandatory reporting. In Connecticut doctors, police, caregivers, and others have a duty to report the abuse. In addition, there are specific criminal laws protecting the elderly from assault and abuse. Moreover, in many states law enforcement is specifically trained on elder abuse and how to use criminal and civil laws to stop abusers and bring them to justice.

Elder lawyers are trained in how to protect the elderly, what to do for a variety of issues and how to remedy the situation. If you suspect someone is suffering elder abuse, contact John Sweeney at (203) 261-6877 or email sweeneylegal@gmail.com. Visit legalsweeney.com for more information.

Photo by Akash_Kurdekar via Flickr Creative Commons