The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Physical and emotional abuses in a nursing home setting are relatively easy to recognize. Open wounds, bruises, bedsores are often signs of physical abuse or neglect, while agitation, remote and solitary behaviors are signs of emotional abuse.

Financial exploitation of the vulnerable elderly nursing home population happens daily in nursing homes and assisted living facilities around the country. Financial exploitation happens when a caregiver steals, withholds or misuses a vulnerable adult's money, property or valuables for their own personal advantage or profit.

The signs of financial exploitation of the elderly may include actually stealing money, property or valuables, borrowing money with no intention of repaying it, giving way the victim's possessions without their permission, and the fraudulent misuse of ATM or credit cards. Often deceit and intimidation is used to achieve the desired result. The caregiver may promise lifelong care in return for a joint bank account or a power of attorney. Many times the victim is totally unaware of the real intentions of the perpetrator.

Suspicious signatures on checks, missing funds and belongings and a sudden interest in the elderly adult's finances by caregivers are all warning signs that warrant investigation.

If you live in the Miami, Florida area and suspect someone you care about has been the victim of nursing home abuse in the form of financial exploitation, please contact the Miami office of The Cochran Firm to schedule a confidential consultation at no cost to you.

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