Another case of caregiver abuse
2/22/08
On the front page of yesterday’s St. Petersburg Times Metro Report there was a story about a 93 year old blind woman who had been taken advantage of by a trusted caregiver. Although there are many forms of caregiver abuse, this story was about the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars over a period of at least 6 years.
The victim was completely unaware that this was happening until a friend helped her open her mail one day. They read information pertaining to some unusual purchases that had been made. The wise friend and victim became immediately suspicious and luckily contacted the authorities who did an investigation. Thankfully, the 61 year old caregiver was arrested and charged with “felony theft, organized fraud and exploitation of the elderly”. The paper said, “It was her first arrest in Florida”. Does that mean she'd been arrested in another state for the same thing?
The paper points out that besides losing the money, the victim is suffering in other ways but they did not mention them specifically. We could safely assume that any sense of safety and security has been shattered. At 93, how many years will it take to regain the ability to fully trust another person-even one she's known for sometime? And wouldn't this woman be questioning her remaining abilities and wondering how she could have not known something was wrong?
I wonder if this victim had a legally appointed Durable Power of Attorney? If so, where has this person been for the past 6 years? Wouldn't this have been discovered a long time ago if this person was doing the job they'd agreed to do by signing the paperwork? Had they died and was an alternative never appointed?
If the victim hadn't taken care of this important paperwork, did she refuse to, or didn't she understand why she should? Was she simply just too trusting? Did she remember how it “used to be” and think this paperwork just wasn't needed?
Whatever the case, it is a sad and pathetic situation for anyone of any age to be in.
Please be aware that abuse comes in many forms. It can be physical, mental, emotional, sexual, involve neglect or abandonment, relate to nutrition or medications, and as we've read, financial affairs. Familiarize yourselves with the signs of abuse, and report your suspicions to the police, or call the Abuse Hotline in your state. Don't hesitate! It is everyone's responsibility to look out for those who are unable to look out for themselves. For further information on preventing abuse, click here:
Previous Abuse issues 2006 click here:
