What many California residents may not be aware of is that family members and caregivers are often the most common perpetrators of emotional and financial elder abuse. As upsetting as it is to hear, the very people who are entrusted to ensure their safety and security are often the very people who are violating them. This is because caregivers and certain family members may not only get to see the elderly individual multiple times a day, but they also get to gain their trust at a time when they feel especially vulnerable.
As they lose their cognitive abilities, senior citizens may not even know the repercussions of signing certain papers or checks. Additionally, as physical limitations set in, they may not always be able to go into all the rooms of a house and be able to tell if something is missing or stolen.
With someone else in charge of helping them complete daily tasks, they may also be reluctant to voice concerns about the treatment they are receiving from their caregivers. Additionally, they may have become isolated from their family, making it difficult to even approach a loved one in the first place.
While it may not be possible in all cases, California residents should consider making their loved ones aware of the possibilities of financial abuse. They should be told to lock their bank information, including account statements and checks, in a secure place and to never give personal information such as social security numbers out to anyone. It might help to get know a loved one’s banker, so they can alert one to potential warning signs of abuse.
It might be possible to hold abusers accountable for exploiting vulnerable elderly individuals. Lawyers at the Gostanian Law Group handle all their cases with the utmost compassion and dedication and get our clients the justice they deserve. For more on how we help our clients, visit our page. It is vital to be aware of your situation and what rights you might have.