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elder exploitation
Misusing of the resources of an elderly or disabled person for personal or monetary benefit
Including, but not limited to:
1) taking Social Security checks
2) abusing a joint checking account
3) taking property & other resources
Etiology:
- financial dependence on the patient
- risk factors
- mental illness
- caregiver stress
Epidemiology:
- most common form of elder abuse [1]
- 4% of elderly describe financial exploitation [1]
- 1 year prevalence: 2.7%; lifetime prevalence 4.7% [2]
Clinical manifestations:
Warning signs:
1) numerous unpaid bills
2) missing papers & credit cards
- cosigning for credit cards, automobiles
3) caregiver's refusal to spend money on the elder
4) elder unaware of monthly income
5) frequent checks made out to cash
6) frequent expensive gifts to the caregiver from the elder
Management:
- report to adult protective services [1]
- mandatory reporting of suspected abuse [3]
- appointing a trusted individual as durable power of attorney for finances can help protect a vulnerable elder from financial exploitation [1]
General
elder abuse
exploitation
References
- Geriatric Review Syllabus, 9th edition (GRS9)
Medinal-Walpole A, Pacala JT, Porter JF (eds)
American Geriatrics Society, 2016
- Geriatric Review Syllabus, 10th edition (GRS10)
Harper GM, Lyons WL, Potter JF (eds)
American Geriatrics Society, 2019
- Peterson JC, Burnes DP, Caccamise PL et al
Financial exploitation of older adults: a population-based
prevalence study.
J Gen Intern Med. 2014 Dec;29(12):1615-23.
PMID: 25103121 Free PMC Article
- Lachs MS, Pillemer KA
Elder Abuse
N Engl J Med 2015; 373:1947-1956. November 12, 2015
PMID: 26559573
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1404688