What are red flags for family members or professionals for adult fiscal abuse? Financial abuse can have many faces:
- Someone is responsible for paying bills, but the bills are not paid and nor are there adequate resources to pay them.
- Unexplained money missing from accounts
- Family member /caregiver withdrawing large amounts of money from accounts
- Someone taking money under false pretenses
- Forgery
- Forced property transfers or transfers that done completed through lies or deceit
- Purchasing expensive items with the older person's money without the older person's
knowledge or permission
- Denying the older person access to his or her own funds or home
- Scams perpetrated by sales people for health-related services, mortgage companies, and financial managers - or even by so - called friends
A geriatric care manager (GCM) is well-positioned to assist an older adult and family members avoid or
detect elder financial abuse. GCMs are the Hoover Dam, keeping back the river of elder abusers who
can walk in an elder's door. GCMs can interview, monitor, and supervise paid caregivers. Additionally
they can make sure they are bonded, background checked and have no access to older people's
finances.