ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Are family and friends the intuitive choice for caregiving, or should the task be left to professionals? While there is no right answer to this question, a recent article on elder abuse prevention in San Diego sheds light on the complications that can arise from family and friend-based caregiving. Properly caring for elders is a serious commitment, and the article maintains that the “strain” of caregiving can sometimes lead the caregiver to inadvertently commit abuses such as transferring assets or property against the elder’s will. Attorney Prescott Cole from California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform adds that caregivers who are also family members may “blur the borders” of ownership and entitlement with respect to property or other goods.
Elders and their loved ones rightfully prioritize finding a caregiver they can trust — whether or not the caregiver is a family member. As financial elder abuse continues to escalate throughout California and across the nation, vigilance is key to preventing theft, fraud, and other abuses committed against elders. Unqualified individuals posing as caregivers continue to find and create opportunities to target elders’ finances and well-being. Regardless of whether you select a caregiver from within or outside of the elder’s family, it is extremely important to check in regularly on the caregiver and the elder. The more isolated the elder is, the more vulnerable he or she is to caregiver abuse and other abuses.
The Evans Law Firm focuses on elder abuse litigation in the state of California. If you or a loved one has been the victim of elder abuse, contact the Evans Law Firm at 415-441-8669 or e-mail info@evanslaw.com.
