You have probably heard in the news about cases of elder abuse and financial exploitation. When you hear of elder financial exploitation, you may think of unscrupulous home improvement contractors, phony investment schemes or internet scams. According to law enforcement officials, abuse and exploitation by family, caretakers and new best friends are just as common.
The National Center on Elder Abuse reports that over one million cases of elder abuse are reported in a year and that this number does not represent the actual incidence of elder abuse because crimes of this nature often go unreported. The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study theorizes that because of the intimate and family nature of elder abuse and domestic violence in later life, as many as four out of five cases go unreported. Assuming this assessment is accurate, about 10% of the senior population will suffer from some form of abuse.
Elder abuse and financial exploitation is also drastically on the rise in a seriously depressed economy as desperate people prey on the population most likely to have income and assets, accumulated after a lifetime of work. One method of elder exploitation that I have seen many times is a child or other family member who is a professional dependent.
One type of professional dependent is the child who may have convinced you that they need your help. You now are regularly giving them checks to help them out. These checks could be in the thousands of dollars.
Another type of professional dependent is a child who regularly takes you to the bank to withdraw cash for your day-to-day living expenses. That cash, sometimes also in the thousands of dollars, then just mysteriously disappears.
A child who lives with you can also be a professional dependent. You may have a child who lives with you, but contributes nothing to the household operation, either financially or time wise. All too often, a child moves in with you and just sponges off of you.
It could be the child who never moved out and who now is in his 50s, still trying to decide what he wants to do with his life. He may even have a job, but never helps out with the household expenses or household chores.
It is not uncommon for a child to move in with you “temporarily” after a major life event such as a divorce or loss of a job. He or she may even bring their significant other. Then the child just sleeps, sits around watching TV or playing video games, doesn’t look for a job and doesn’t help with household chores. This “temporary” arrangement many times becomes permanent.
In response to this increase in elder abuse and financial exploitation, the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s office, the Port Huron Police Department, Lakeshore Legal Aid and the St. Clair County Council on Aging came together to apply for a grant to address this issue in our community. St. Clair County was one of seven communities awarded this grant, in part because of the community’s dedication to meeting the needs of older adults.
This grant will fund the Elder Abuse Summit training program at Port Huron Hospital on May 21, 2010. This Summit is the kick-off of a three year effort to identify, address and create opportunities for change.
The Summit program features nationally recognized speakers from the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life. The speakers will walk participants through the life and death of a victim of elder abuse and examine each opportunity where community intervention might have helped change the outcome. Afterwards, there will be a call to action meeting to engage law enforcement officials, social service agencies and community members in addressing elder abuse and financial exploitation.
In addition, throughout the next year, the coalition will be asking seniors in St. Clair County to participate in focus groups and surveys to help identify what preventative and remedial services are needed to insure seniors are free from physical abuse and financial exploitation.
For more information or to participate, please contact Sarah R. Prout, Managing Attorney Lakeshore Legal Aid at 810-985-5107, ext 31, or HYPERLINK “mailto:sprout@lakeshorelegalaid.ord” sprout@lakeshorelegalaid.org.
By: Matthew M. Wallace, CPS, JD
Published edited May 16, 2010 in The Times Herald newspaper, Port Huron, Michigan as: Financial predators find seniors easy prey