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A Look Into the Dark World of Nursing Home Financial Abuse 

Though nursing home financial abuse is a depressing topic, it is imperative you know about it, especially if you have a loved one in such a facility.  The unfortunate truth is members of nursing homes sometimes steal money and/or property from residents.  Such theft constitutes financial abuse.  This form of abuse occurs in numerous forms ranging from pilfering the resident’s money or personal items to coercing the individual to sign legal paperwork for power of attorney/financial responsibility to a staff member, signing the resident’s name on checks/financial documents and beyond.  In fact, some nursing home workers will go as far as using the resident’s personal credit card or bank account information without his or her consent or knowledge.

Indications of Nursing Home Financial Abuse

If you are aware of the early signs of nursing home financial abuse, you might be able to protect your relative against such an injustice.  This is accomplished by moving the family member to a new nursing home or prosecuting the perpetrator.  Be on the lookout for items missing from your relative’s room.  If any checks have been written to a staff member, it is a red flag.  If your relative’s lifestyle or living conditions suddenly deteriorate, it is a sign of something fishy.

Furthermore, if any changes are made to your relative’s power of attorney or will, it is possible a nursing home attorney manipulated your relative to make the alterations.  Some nursing home staff members will even add their name to a joint back account hoping no one will notice.  In some cases, residents victimized by nursing home financial abuse will speak of a new friend they have made or comment about passing on money or a family heirloom to that individual.

How to Proceed if You Suspect Your Family Member has Been Victimized

Time is of the essence in nursing home financial abuse cases.  If you suspect your relative has been victimized, take prompt action.  Sit down with your family member to determine if anyone is stealing from them, asking for money or threatening them.  However, if the thief is attempting to convince the senior his or her family is the problem or threatens violence, your loved one might hesitate to be truthful in conversation with you.  If this is the case, talk to the other residents about potential financial abuse.  If anyone you interact with suspects your loved one might be a victim, there is a good chance it is true.

Be sure to take some photos of your loved one’s room and personal belongings.  If any times are unaccounted for in the days ahead, it is cause for concern.  It will also help to examine the financial/personal records, bank statements, will and power of attorney documents to determine if any alterations have been made without your knowledge.

Once you have collected evidence, reach out to the police rather than the nursing home administrators.  After all, there is a chance the nursing home manager, owner or even supervisors are also stealing from residents.  Show the evidence to the police and let them handle the matter from there.  It will also help to report the incident to the adult protective services.  Once law enforcement is in the loop, reach out to our legal team to handle your nursing home abuse case.  We will perform additional investigation into the abuse to gauge how long is has occurred, if there are additional victims and the amount of money/property stolen.

How to Prevent Nursing Home Financial Abuse

Timely intervention is essential to preventing nursing home financial abuse.  Do not hesitate to discuss the prospect of financial abuse with your relative.  Request that he or she reach out to you right away if theft or attempts at theft occur.  Even a request to access his or her finances should trigger a phone call directly to you.

It also helps to understand the risk factors of nursing home abuse.  An elderly individual’s lack of awareness of financial abuse, reduced mental capacity, isolation and loneliness are the top risk factors.  Above all, it is important to stay in touch with your relative after he or she enters a nursing home.  Talk to him or her about personal finances and any seemingly suspicious activity.  Obtain your relative’s consent to work with his or her bank, credit card provider and other financial institutions to ensure notifications are provided when odd occurrences take place.

Schibell Law is Here to Help During This Challenging Time 

If you believe your relative has been victimized by a nursing home or other care provider, do the right thing by asking for help.  Our Schibell Law legal team is here to ensure justice is served.  You can contact Schibell Law at 732-774-1000  to schedule a no-cost consultation.

Richard N. Schibell, Esq.

is the founding partner at Schibell Law LLC concentrating in all aspects of Workers’ Compensation throughout New Jersey. Mr. Richard N Schibell graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts, concentrating in both Philosophy and History. He went on to receive his Juris Doctorate degree from Seton Hall University School of Law.

Following his graduation from law school, Mr. Schibell served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard W. English, J.S.C., in the Civil Division of the Monmouth County Superior Court.