What are the Warning Signs of Financial Abuse at a Tennessee Nursing Home?
If you have loved ones who live in a nursing home or assisted living facility, you may already know to be on the lookout for signs that your elderly relatives are being physically or emotionally abused or neglected. What you may not know is that nursing home residents are vulnerable to yet another form of abuse – financial abuse. It is estimated that one out of every twenty five nursing home residents experience some form of financial abuse.
People who live in nursing homes interact with their caregivers on a daily basis. Sometimes, caregivers build close relationships with residents, not out of a desire to be kind or develop genuine friendships, but so that the residents will believe that they are people who can be trusted. When it becomes difficult for an elderly person to take care of their own finances, they may turn to one of the familiar faces of the nursing home staff and ask them to help them manage their finances. They may even grant them a power of attorney, which grants the caregiver access to financial information that would otherwise be confidential, as well as the ability to control the elder’s assets.
Some of the things that caregivers might do which would constitute financial abuse include borrowing and using a resident’s debit card or credit card, cashing their checks, and using or taking their possessions without their permission. Also, some caregivers charge residents for services which were never provided or they provide unnecessary services and then charge the residents for them. Abusive caregivers who have been entrusted with managing a resident’s finances may even fail to pay the resident’s bills while using their money for their own purposes.
Residents with family members who do not visit or speak to them regularly are targeted for financial abuse more frequently. Whether you live nearby or far away, maintaining your connection to family members who are in nursing homes or assisted living facilities can help you to prevent and detect financial abuse, as well as other types of elder abuse. Elderly people who maintain close relationships with family and friends are less likely to fall victim to abuse of any kind then their peers who feel alone, or who have infrequent contact with their friends and families. Watch for warning signs of financial abuse, such as changes in your relative’s demeanor or behavior, changes in banking behavior, names added to bank accounts, and changes to their will. If you notice that something is amiss, do not hesitate to investigate it further, and to seek help if you believe that your relative is being abused in any way.
Your relatives deserve the best of care as they grow older, and nursing homes and assisted living facilities must comply with rules and regulations that are designed to ensure quality care. Even in facilities that appear to provide the care that their residents need, incidents of abuse happen more often than anyone would like to believe. If you have entrusted a nursing home, assisted living facility, or in-home care provider with the care of someone that you love, it can be devastating to discover that they are being abused by their caregivers. The knowledgeable nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Greer Injury Lawyers, PLLC have the experience necessary to evaluate your case and answer all of your questions. Please call us today, at (888) 470-9143 to schedule a time to discuss your case. At Greer Injury Lawyers, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.