Characteristics of potential victims

• Advanced age
• Stroke
• Dementia or other cognitive impairment
• Physical, mental or emotional distress
• Depression
• Recent bereavements or divorce
• Social isolation
• Taking multiple medications
• Frailty

Characteristics of potential perpetrators

• In the 16-64 age range
• Paid or family caregivers of victim
• Family of victim or known by victim
• Lives with the victim
• Perpetrator may have financial, relationship, drug, alcohol or gambling problems

Signs of Abuse or Neglect

Lack of care

• Evidence of lack of care e.g. lack of clothing, food and other necessities
• Unkempt home where the victim used to be house proud
• Untreated medical problems
• Lack of provisions of services, unpaid bills

Social isolation

• Discontinued relationships with friends and family
• Increased dependence on perpetrator
• Sudden heavy traffic in and out of the home
• New acquaintances
• Caregivers or family members having an excessive interest in amount of money being spent on the elderly person
• Mutual dependence on another
• Perpetrator acting as gatekeeper

Visits to health care providers

• Unmet physical needs
• Missed medical appointments
• Dropping out of treatment
• Declining physical and psychological health
• Defensiveness by caregiver during visits or on telephone and unwillingness by caregiver to leave the victim along during appointments
• Removing victim from custodial care against medical advice

Financial

• Missing paperwork
• Missing belongings or property
• Evasive or implausible explanations
• Lack of awareness or confusion of the victim of recent transactions
• The victim being afraid or worried about talking about finances
• Unpaid bills, late notices
• Eviction notices
• Credit card fraud or abuse

Conduct of banking transactions

• Unexplained transfers out of accounts
• Unusual or unexplained sudden activity
• Large withdrawal when the elderly person is accompanied by another
• Frequent transfers or ATM withdrawals
• Change of address for statements or check books
• Suspicious signatures
• Inclusion of another name on bank card
• Suspicious credit card activity (unauthorized or uncustomary purchases or expenses)
• ATM withdrawals by housebound person
• Online banking by person with no internet connection enabled device and no IT experience to make electronic withdrawals
• Person with no awareness of personal financial affairs
• Unusual number of checks written to cash

Legal transactions

• Signing Powers of Attorney when confused or does not understand or remember the transaction
• Forged signatures
• Changes in their property, Wills or other documents such as Powers of Attorney, where they are unexpected, sudden or in favor of new acquaintances
• Sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming rights to the victim’s person, affairs and/or possessions.
• Unexpected changed in legal advisors

Immediate action to be taken

• Speak to the victim
• Speak to non-involved family or trusted friend if consent from victim
• Protect finances and property if possible against further misappropriation
• If suspicion or evidence of abuse, neglect and/or criminal offense having taken place call the police, County and State Protective Services of Aging and Adult Services, District Attorney, private counsel
• Consult an Elder Law Attorney for advice to redress issues, prevent, safeguard in advance by drafting appropriate documents such as Powers of Attorney, remove representatives and/or institute Guardianship, etc.
• Please contact us with any questions or concerns whatsoever