How do you protect the elderly financially...from their own family?

**disneysteve** · 03-07-2018, 12:20 PM

Originally posted by amastewa93 View Post

her son has moved into the apartment and placed her in a nursing home. I've been to visit her since. Her son is now collecting checks being mailed to her apartment and living there without a job... while she isn't seeing any of her own money and is skirting by with the bare minimum at the home.

Is he somehow cashing checks that are in her name? Unless he has power of attorney, that is blatantly illegal and I would certainly report it to the authorities. Haul his ass off to prison.

You just need to find out if she ever gave him any legal access to her funds.

**amastewa93** · 03-08-2018, 05:05 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

Is he somehow cashing checks that are in her name? .... You just need to find out if she ever gave him any legal access to her funds.

I have no idea... I'll try to find out. At the very least, I know the apartment is in her name and she is no longer there. There are some strict rules in our community about sub-leasing, etc.

It's super sad to see her being taken advantage of. So, hopefully, I'll be able to find some info out.

**disneysteve** · 03-08-2018, 05:10 AM

Originally posted by amastewa93 View Post

At the very least, I know the apartment is in her name and she is no longer there. There are some strict rules in our community about sub-leasing, etc.

If that's the case, you can at least report the living situation to the landlord. If he is violating the lease, let them deal with that piece of it.

**amastewa93** · 03-08-2018, 05:13 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

If that's the case, you can at least report the living situation to the landlord. If he is violating the lease, let them deal with that piece of it.

Yes - I think I'm going to head over to chat with the owner of the property today... She's also been asking about her dog (which I haven't seen recently). It's heartbreaking. But, at the very least, he'll probably be out of the apartment shortly.

**bjl584** · 03-08-2018, 05:28 AM

That's tragic. It could get tricky without knowing all the details though. As suggested, start with getting him out of the apartment.

**scfr** · 03-08-2018, 07:13 AM

Thank you for stepping up to help this woman.
If you uncover more information that indicates financial (or other) abuse, please do call the elder abuse hotline (if one is available) for guidance.

**Gailete** · 03-08-2018, 06:58 PM

Find out who your elderly ombudsman is for your area. You should find that under agency for the aging in the phone book or online. All you must do is tell them your suspicions and they will investigate it as that is part of what they do.

If there is a way to find out how her bill at the home is being paid to it will also make a difference. If she is there for some sort of skilled care, that is one thing, but it doesn't sound like she had a hospital stay of over three days to quality for that. If she is there under Medicaid/welfare, the Dept. of Public Welfare would also be interested in her finances especially if this son represented her as having no assets. He is not her husband, so if she is in the nursing home, ALL her assets and monthly checks should be going to pay for her care, and he has no claim to be living in her home. If he was a husband that is different rules, but he isn't. He has no claim to her assets at all at this point, even if she is �incompetent� to handle her own, it doesn�t mean that he gets to stick his hand in the cookie jar. If somehow he has gotten her POA it isn�t to give him the power to take her money for his own use.

Let us just say that tangling with Welfare fraud is most likely worse that tangling with the IRS which he is also going to run into trouble over how much of her money �she� gives him!

Thank you for caring and looking into this matter for her.

How do you protect the elderly financially...from their own family?