Elder Abuse Awareness Month
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June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, promoting the understanding of how our most vulnerable citizens can be taken advantage of. However, the most common abuse may not be physical at all. Local elder law attorney Pam Wright tell us she most often deals with financial exploitation of the elderly. She says seniors commonly victimized by close family members and trusted caregivers. This growing problem usually involves people using unauthorized credit of their elderly family members or convincing their elderly members to cosign on hefty loans. “Not many seniors would take out a loan for themselves on a $40,000 car, but they don’t think twice about co-signing for a family member who’s doing that and in the end it hurts them just as much if not more,” said Wright. She adds that her studies have shown this problem is only getting worse due to a poor economy. “People are having a hard time getting by, so they feel like they’ll rely on an older family member’s finances and eventually they may cross the line and really start using the finances that the older person needs for their own well being,” Wright continued. If you or someone you know is being victimized by financial abuse contact your local law enforcement agency or Adult Protective Services.
