What is Nursing Home Financial Abuse?
There are several forms of nursing home abuse—none of which are easy to endure—but financial abuse can be particularly harmful to seniors. Strangers can rip off elders in long-term care through scams that steal money from nursing home residents. However, it is more common for financial abuse to be conducted by those close to the senior, such as any of the following people:
- Caregivers
- Financial professionals
- Spiritual advisers
Forms of Elder Financial Abuse in Nursing Homes
People find all sorts of ways to steal money from nursing home residents. The following are some of the most common ways:
Stealing From the Resident’s Room
Nursing home residents don’t have much privacy. Their doors are almost always open and there are a slew of people that come in and out of the room throughout the day. This combination makes it easy for theft to occur.
Checkbook or Credit Card Theft
If a nursing home resident leaves their wallet unattended, even just for a few minutes, there’s a good chance it will get stolen. Finding the culprit will likely be near impossible.
Checkbook or Credit Card Misuse
People with permission to use the elder’s checkbook or credit card can do so in unauthorized ways, or in ways that do not benefit the nursing home resident.
Identity Theft
If a thief can get a hold of a nursing home resident’s personal information, it’s possible for him or her to open new credit cards in the elder’s name until all the cards are maxed out or the thief is caught.
Undue Influence
This occurs when someone fakes affection for a nursing home resident in order for them to con the elder into making a new will. Oftentimes, they lie to the senior about who the senior’s natural heirs are so that the elder disinherits them.
Has Your Loved One Experienced Financial Abuse? Call (877) 600-7212.
If you believe your loved one has experienced financial abuse while staying in a nursing home, we may be able to help. We have helped many others in similar situations, and we may be able to help you, too.
Call the Charlotte nursing home negligence lawyers at Benoit Law Firm, PLLC today at (877) 600-7212 to speak with an attorney about your case.