Friday, June 14, 2013

Editorial: Not Enough Protection for Elders

June 14 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Financial exploitation of elders is becoming the primary form of elder abuse, often involving family members or even close elderly friends who prey on seniors to gain control of assets. The elder need not have dementia to be victimized. These predators take advantage of physical disabilities — vision, hearing, mobility — to gain an elder’s trust and isolate the elder, to control communication, transportation, medical care and to access mail and credit cards, bank accounts and investments.

Legal mechanisms like power of attorney (POA), guardianship/conservatorship or healthcare proxy (HCP) can be obtained through misrepresentation, coercion, isolation and intimidation of an elder. The abuser then can use the victim’s assets to fight those trying to stop the exploitation.

Another form of abuse is “granny snatching”; an elder is taken out of state under false pretenses (a vacation?) to a perpetrator’s turf, isolated from the elder’s friends, family and familiar medical care. Once there, new legal and financial oversight (guardian, conservator, POA) is obtained. The elder rarely returns.

Full Editorial and Source:
Not Enough Protection for Elders

5 comments:

  1. NASGA is fighting this very thing.
    Join NASGA:
    http://stopguardianabuse.org/becomeanadvocateforreform.htm

    ReplyDelete
  2. So sad what the Judicial System in Florida is doing to the eldery, lying to keep elders under guardianship, charging huge fees, and isolating family member with false lies! The Judicial system in Florida, claiming to be protecting people is a scam! Corrupt attorneys, corrupt guardians and at the lead corrupt Judges! Hopefully the residents of Florida are hearing the message and know who these individuals are, they lack all integrity!

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  3. Nothing new, just something to be reminded of.

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  4. I have a recorded recently updated Judgment, that all assets are under my sole ownership...yet the exploitation and judicial fraud and fraud on the courts, is just as up-to-date, as the trust they created in my name - and without my knowledge at the time. I have been fighting for my Rights to my own assets for 10 years.eb

    ReplyDelete