Elder abuse, abuse or exploitation of older people, can take many different forms. Elder abuse cases range from inflicting physical harm to using fraud or coercion to obtain financial or material gain from vulnerable seniors. Financial or material exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of the funds, property or assets of an elderly person. Examples include, but are not limited to, cashing an elderly person's checks without authorization or permission; forging an older person's signature; misusing or stealing an elderly person's money or possessions; coercing or deceiving an older person into signing any document (e.g.
Elder sexual abuse is forced or non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with an older adult. This includes sexual interactions with older people with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or other cognitive disabilities that prevent them from giving consent. To address financial abuse of older people, its parameters must first be defined. Diverse, referred to as financial, exploitation, or fiduciary, economic, or material abuse, this type of abuse covers a wide range of behaviors (National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, 200.
There have been widespread complaints that financial abuse of elders is ill-defined, in part because it is difficult to define, making identification, investigation and prosecution difficult (Dessin, 2000; Langan and Means, 1996; Marshall et al. The absence of a uniform definition may explain why it is often not included or misaddressed in research on elder abuse in general (Langan and Means, 199). Elder abuse, mistreatment, or exploitation of older people can take many different forms. Older people have been identified as vulnerable to undue influence when there is a close relationship in which the abuser is trusted and the older person suffers from cognitive impairments, is socially isolated, or is in a major life transition, such as widowhood (Quinn, 2000).
Education about financial abuse of elders, warning signs, and steps that can be taken to minimize or remedy such abuse could be directed to health care providers who regularly provide services to the elderly. As a result of the differences between child abuse and financial abuse of elders, models to correct financial abuse of elders may need to take a different approach from that used in models of child abuse. These “helpers” may have easy access to the assets, documents, or financial information of older persons or they can exert significant influence over the older person (National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, 2001; Nerenberg, 2000c; Quinn, 2000). When someone with power over an elderly person intentionally harms them or puts them at risk of harm, their actions or inaction are considered elder abuse.
For a description of some specialized law enforcement and tax units established to address financial abuse and promising criminal justice practices, see Heisler (2000). For financial abuse, the NEAIS review found that the three most frequent reporters were friends and neighbors (15 percent), hospitals (14.2 percent), and family members (14 percent). It has also been argued that too many elders are not represented in their competence hearings, that the powers assigned are too broad and based on convenience rather than necessity, that annual accounts required by law are often not filed, and that restricted rights of elders are rarely reviewed and almost is never restored, despite changes in the decision-making abilities of the elderly person (Sampson, 199. Another sign may be the sudden appearance of previously uninvolved family members claiming rights to the affairs and possessions of an elderly person (National Center on Elder Abuse, 200. Some states require dishonest tactics on the part of perpetrators, such as the use of force, coercion, misrepresentation, undue influence, or other illegal means, to take advantage of the elderly.
States generally grant immunity in good faith to the complainant, regardless of whether the abuse is confirmed and whether the reports come from a mandatory or voluntary reporter (Capezuti et al. Finally, steps can be taken to remove an abuser from the older person's home or establish a guardianship to protect the older person's property (National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 200. Neglect According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), seniors are more likely to self-report financial exploitation than emotional, physical, and sexual abuse or neglect. L) Financial or property exploitation means the illegal or improper use of the money, property, or other resources of an elderly person or adult with a disability for monetary or personal gain, benefit, or gain.
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