Elder Abuse

Recently, our former president, Jimmy Carter, decided to stop his own life-sustaining treatments to receive at-home hospice care so he can spend his final days surrounded by family and friends. When I was serving as my father’s healthcare surrogate, I had to make the decision to enroll him in hospice services at the end of his life.Whether or not to enroll a family member in hospice care is an issue that many families face and it can be very confusing. Here is an article outlining what hospice is, how to find one, and also how to spot a hospice company that might be practicing some Medicare fraud:

When faced with a terminal illness or condition, more people than ever are choosing hospice care over starting or continuing expensive medical treatments. Hospice care is for patients who choose not to undergo specific treatments or when they are no longer effective.
Read more . . .

Jennifer’s 80-year-old mother seemed to be running low on funds every month.  By the end of the month, she had no money for groceries.  Jennifer had helped her mother with a budget, so she thought her mother had plenty of money to make it through each month.  When she asked her mother to allow her to look at her bank statements, though, Jennifer discovered a series of automatic debits to several companies she did not recognize.  It turns out, her mother had signed up for monthly book delivery clubs, as well as recurring magazine subscriptions for magazines Jennifer knew her mother did not read.

Unfortunately, there have been an increase in reports of senior citizens being taken advantage of. There are various ways seniors are being taken advantage of, but one strikes particular interest with our firm; the deceptive and unfair methods of some Financial Advisors.

Being an Elder Care and Disability Law Firm, we are constantly in contact and working closely with Financial Advisors. They are a vital resource not only for us, but for our clients. We are confident in the Financial Advisors that we work with, but it is a shame that not many out there are honoring their commitment and efforts to help families.

Sometimes bad things happen right under our noses, and we don’t want to – or can’t – see.  Elder abuse is like that – we can’t – or don’t want to admit that we see it.

June 15^th was Elder Abuse Day, a day intended to draw our attention to a problem that is often ignored. The term “elder abuse” is often in the news, but what exactly is elder abuse?

The World Health Organization defines elder abuse as “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.”

Elder abuse is not confined to the poor.