June 14th is Elder Abuse Day, the District Attorney's Office prosecuted the cousin.
"Many cases of financial exploitation of elders are not reported because victims may be unwilling to “turn in” their relatives."
http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/local/elder-abuse-includes-financial-exploitation/XkiasLk4EojcwC0SewSIiI/http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/local/elder-abuse-includes-financial-exploitation/XkiasLk4EojcwC0SewSIiI/
Today is Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Every year an estimated five million seniors — one out of every 10 older Americans — are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And that’s only part of the problem. Experts believe that for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, as many as 23 cases go unreported.
Unfortunately, the Ombudsman Office has encountered many cases of financial exploitation of elders. One elderly woman in an assisted living facility asked one of our Ombudsman volunteers if she had a right to look at her bank statements. The volunteer learned that the woman’s cousin was serving as the woman’s Power of Attorney, and had not shared any financial information with the woman in a long time.
The Ombudsman volunteer assisted the woman in contacting her bank to obtain a copy of her account statements for the past several months. On a subsequent visit to the assisted living facility, the Ombudsman volunteer again visited with the woman and asked if she had any further questions about her account. The woman showed the Ombudsman volunteer her bank account statements and it was clear that money was being paid for things that did not benefit the woman, such as payments for a new car and a cruise. The volunteer contacted the Ombudsman Office for assistance, and the Ombudsman visited with the woman to discuss her options. The woman chose to have another relative serve as her Power of Attorney, and decided that she did want to contact the authorities.
In the end, the cousin who had taken almost $40,000 of the woman’s money was convicted and sentenced to prison. Many cases of financial exploitation of elders are not reported because victims may be unwilling to “turn in” their relatives. In all cases, victims feel a loss of trust at being harmed by a so-called loved one. If one suspects that an elder is being exploited or abused, it is important to approach the victim and help the elder get the needed assistance.
The Ombudsman Column, a production of the Joint Office of Citizens’ Complaints, summarizes selected problems that citizens have had with government services, schools and nursing homes in the Dayton area. Contact the Ombudsman by writing to the Beerman Building, 11 W. Monument Avenue, Suite 606, Dayton 45402, or telephone (937) 223-4613, or by electronic mail at ombudsman@dayton-ombudsman.org or like us on Facebook at “Dayton Ombudsman Office.”
