It can be absolutely heart-wrenching to consider that the person with whom you have trusted with the health, safety and wellbeing of your aging loved one is in some way betraying this trust and mistreating your senior. While many family caregivers many immediately think of physical abuse and neglect when worrying about how their loved ones are being treated by an in home care provider, it is essential to keep in mind that this is not the only type of abuse that occurs in senior care arrangements. In fact, the most common form of elder abuse is actually financially motivated.
Unscrupulous home care services providers may masquerade as qualified professionals in order to gain access to the homes of seniors. Once they have been hired for the position and have gained the trust of the senior and his family, this caregiver will gradually begin to siphon money away from the senior. This can be extremely subtle such as taking small bills out of a wallet or purse or claiming a food order cost more than it did and pocketing the excess. It can also be invasive and quite severe such as unauthorized usage of a credit or debit card, stealing checks or selling prescription medications rather than reminding a forgetful senior to take them.
One of the most heinous forms of financial elder abuse, however, is when an in home care provider feigns romantic interest in a senior in online casino order to manipulate that senior into providing access to financial accounts. If not caught and ended, this type of financial abuse can result in a senior changing his will, signing over large pieces of property, or even marrying the care provider which would make the in home care provider his next of kin. This will put the deceitful home care services companion in a position of tremendous, dangerous power.
It is your responsibility as the family caregiver of an aging loved one to remain vigilant at all times. You must be aware of your loved one’s condition so that you notice any suspicious changes as quickly as possible. Take note of any of the following indications of potential financial elder abuse and make steps to end the abuse immediately:
- Unexplained debits from his bank account
- Suddenly maxed-out credit cards
- Suspicious behavior from the caregiver including inappropriate references to the senior, inappropriate physical contact or too much familiarity with the home or the senior’s personal information.
For all of your home care services in Woolwhich Township, NJ and the surrounding areas call and talk to us at Home to Stay Healthcare Solutions (at either our Cherry Hill office at (856) 321-1500 OR our Red Bank office at (732) 820-9611.
