Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Interesting Facts about Financial Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is a topic that is gaining importance in today’s world. The elder abuse law is very stringent in the US. However there are several cases of abuse that are not reported due to fear, ignorance and lack of support. One of the most common forms of elder abuse is financial elder abuse.

Financial abuse
Financial abuse is also called material exploitation and involves misuse of the elders’ assets, property and money. This includes forging of signatures, stealing money or other possessions for misuse, getting documents like wills and inheritance documents signed through deception and improper use of power of elder abuse attorneys or guardian ships.

Signs of financial abuse

The common indicators of an abuse are many. They include disappearance of money and other possessions without reason, withdrawals from bank ATM's which cannot be explained, changes in documents like wills and bank statements, signatures that are suspicious, bills that are not paid and several others.

People who inflict abuse

People who inflict financial abuse on the elderly are usually close members of family including children, grandchildren, spouses and others. The help of a good elder abuse attorney in Los Angeles can resolve such cases. Some others may take up jobs as caretakers or attendants while others find vulnerable people by scanning the newspapers or studying their neighborhood.
In some cases financial exploitation by strangers is also common. Some of them include demand of money for any repair work, false claims of relief funds after natural disasters, telemarketing scams and others. Some professionals working in banks, hospitals and other places that the elders visit frequently also play a big role in financial abuse.

Effects of financial abuse


The long term effects of financial abuse on the elders are heartbreaking. The help of an elder abuse attorney is the first step towards resolving a case of abuse. The victims feel insecure and financially incapable after an abuse. They become depressed and lose their trust in themselves and others. They feel ashamed and a sense of guilt, anger and worthlessness takes over.