Nursing home abuse is often associated with bedsores and other physical injuries, but there are other forms of abuse that may affect your loved ones. Financial abuse of the elderly is unfortunately on the rise in the United States. Although finding out your loved one has been financially abused is never easy, if you take the appropriate legal steps, you can seek justice against the abuser.
Financial abuse can take many forms. Unfortunately, if a family member or nursing home worker finds out your loved one has a bit of wealth, he or she may quickly become a target of abuse. But, even when your loved one does not have this reputation, he or she is at risk of being financially abused. Examples of financial abuse include:
Stealing blank checks from a nursing home residentForging and cashing checks without authorizationStealing a nursing home resident’s money or valuable assetsManipulating a nursing home resident into signing documents or giving you his or her possessionsPromising special treatment in exchange for the resident’s financial information
Many people believe financial abuse is the same as theft, but as you can see from this list, that is not always the case. Elderly victims are often targeted because they can be easily manipulated, so abusers often take advantage of them by committing coercion or fraud.
There are serious consequences for financial abuse of the elderly, but you will need an experienced attorney to help you bring these abusers to justice. When you trust a nursing home to care for your loved one, and you find out he or she is being financially abused, contact Shegerian & Associates at once.
Believe it or not, almost anyone can financially abuse your loved one while he or she is in a nursing home. A telemarketer who calls your loved one on the phone may be able to convince him to turn over his personal information such as his bank account or credit card numbers. The staff at the nursing home could easily intimidate and financially abuse your loved one when you are not around. Even other family members could abuse your elderly loved one by stealing assets.
Federal and state laws have been enacted to protect elderly individuals from financial abuse as they reside in nursing homes. Nursing homes have responded to the rise in financial abuse by implementing thorough background and credit checks for all newly hired employees. This will help nursing homes weed out the employees who may not have the best intentions. But even with these new procedures in place, financial abuse still occurs in many nursing homes. The victims are often not even aware they are being financially abused because of their physical or mental state.
Don’t try to remedy a financial abuse situation on your own. These cases can be incredibly complex, so you will need the help of an experienced attorney who is familiar with the state and federal laws that protect your loved one’s rights.
Contact the attorneys at Shegerian Conniff to discuss your legal options. Our compassionate attorneys understand the seriousness of elderly financial abuse, and we are ready to fight for your loved one’s rights. Call today to schedule a free legal consultation.