On guard against elder financial abuse
That was seven years ago. "My mom lost
"All of us saw she wasn't acting logically, but she wouldn't believe us. My theory is that she was in the early stages of dementia."
Her mother, now 72, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and currently lives nearby in a memory-care facility.
Cardin will tell her mother's story at the
"Just like driver's ed, seniors need mandatory scam-prevention education. It's a matter of when, not if, seniors are targeted. These criminals are so smart and come across as your best friend," Cardin said.
She and her sister pay the assisted-living facility, and her mother also receives
"There's a mourning period with the long goodbye of Alzheimer's. I meet her where she is: She's confused, but she's still a person with feelings and opinions."
Elder financial exploitation has been called "the crime of the 21st century."
Annual financial losses by victims of elder abuse are estimated at
Another hot topic at this week's summit: the "grandkids" scam, and how to prevent it.
This involves a scam artist pretending to be a grandchild and telephoning with a fake "emergency" need for money. Pick a safe word that both parties know, experts urge, to make sure the "grandkids" are really family.
Elder financial abuse destroys incomes, engenders health-care inequities, and fractures families. Despite growing public awareness from a parade of high-profile victims, "it remains under-reported, under-recognized, and under-prosecuted," said
With a million people turning 60 every month in
Changes in the aging brain make elders more susceptible to fraud, so adult protective services in all states work to protect elders, and with various law-enforcement agencies work to prosecute offenders and to educate seniors before they're scammed.
Adult protective service professionals from across the country will be attending this week's summit, which is open to the public for a
Locally, elder abuse of any form can be reported to the
Even normal aging makes seniors "more susceptible to fraud and exploitation," said PCA's Snyder.
So the summit also will feature
Senior Supervisory Special Agent
215-854-2808
@erinarvedlund
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Some Red Flags
Unpaid bills and liabilities despite adequate income. Termination of vital utilities such as telephone, water, or electricity/gas.
Surrender to others of oversight of finances, without explanation or consent. Transferring of assets to new "friends" assisting with finances.
Checks written to "cash."
Improbable explanations offered when a senior does not understand his or her current finances.
Unexplained disappearance of cash, valuable objects, financial statements; promiscuous spending.
Unexplained or unauthorized changes to wills or other estate documents.
Sudden appearance of property liens or foreclosure notices.
SOURCE: NAPSA
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