Financial Exploitation of Nursing Home Residents

Financial exploitation is a common form of abuse of the elderly, especially among nursing home residents, who may not be closely monitored or cared for by nursing home staff. Unfortunately, financial abuse of older Americans has increased significantly in recent years.

There are a wide variety of different types of financial exploitation of nursing home residents, including the following:

• Writing or cashing checks using the resident’s bank account without his or her approval or knowledge
• Stealing personal information from the resident in order to open credit card accounts in his or her name or accessing funds in his or her bank account
• Changing the resident’s legal documents, such as wills and contracts
• Stealing the resident’s money or possessions
• Forging the resident’s signature in order to access his or her assets
• Using coercion or threats in order to get residents to agree to financial decisions that benefit the perpetrator rather than the resident

One of the best ways to prevent financial exploitation of your loved one in a nursing home is to be involved as much as possible in the day-to-day details of the resident’s care. Continually monitoring the resident’s finances, communicating with him or her on a regular basis, if possible, and keeping an updated inventory of all of the resident’s possession are also good ways to avoid financial exploitation.

The nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers of Bonner & Vaughan have handled many cases involving the financial exploitation of nursing home residents, and we know just how devastating these types of cases can be. One of our goals is to ensure that nursing homes and other elderly care facilities meet reasonable standards in screening and hiring employees that provide care to residents. When a nursing home does not take the appropriate measures to protect their residents through standardized hiring practices, that nursing home may ultimately be responsible for any injuries that result. We are familiar with the investigation, assessment, and determination of potential claims on behalf of nursing home residents and their families, whether the negligence stems from staff members or the facility itself. Call Boller & Vaughan today and discover what we can do to help you through this difficult situation.