Elder Abuse & Neglect Law Blog : Seattle Elder Abuse Lawyer & Attorney : Stritmatter Kessler Whelan Coluccio Law Firm : WA Neglect, Insurance Bad Faith

The Associated Press is telling the harrowing tale of some of Haiti's most vulnerable. In the recent earthquake endured by the impoverished country, residents of one nursing home were left to fend for themselves:

On the grounds of the Municipal home for the elderly Thursday, old people lay listlessly in beds out in the open with sheets smeared with excrement, surrounded by hundreds of people living in makeshift tents. One man wore just a T-shirt, his private parts exposed. A woman, just skin and bones, held her head. A body lay in the debris of the nearby nursing home.

The aid that is starting to trickle in isn't getting to the nations most vulnerable nearly fast enough:

On the grounds of the Municipal home for the elderly Thursday, old people lay listlessly in beds out in the open with sheets smeared with excrement, surrounded by hundreds of people living in makeshift tents. One man wore just a T-shirt, his private parts exposed. A woman, just skin and bones, held her head. A body lay in the debris of the nearby nursing home.

The quick end to lives in these nursing homes only highlights what a lack of proper nutrition and hydration can do to an elderly person's body, with people passing from a lack of food of just 3 days.

I often decry the conditions at for-profit nursing homes. But I have to admit that the situation in Haiti is far worse. If you can, please donate a couple of dollars to the American Red Cross. You can do so by texting the word GIVE to 24357 (2HELP). You may give up to 5 $5 donations using that method. 

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Because I handle claims of Elder Abuse quite frequently, I like to stay abreast of developments in the communities in which I practice. The Senior Focus is a paper that published the latest issues facing Senior Citizens. They recently reported that financial abuse of senior citizens costs vulnerable adults up to $2.6 billion a year. 

The report, by the National Committee for Prevention of Elder Abuse, states that the abuse is often where you least expect it, from those taking care of the elderly. The Committee states the abuse is "most often perpetrated by family members and caregivers."

If you feel you may have been the target of elder financial abuse, you need to take action. Be wary of someone wanting you to place all of your financial assets with them as a trustworthy source if things go wrong. There are ways to structure your assets so that they can be used for your benefit without putting all your trust in one person. Additionally, if you do need to execute a power of attorney, place that power in more than one person. If you have two people who you trust, the second person can act as a check if the first begins to abuse their power over you. 

In addition, the article lays out other forms such abuse can take: marketing and repair scams, brokers, salespersons, loan officials. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is, and you should enlist the assistance of a friend, relative, or even an attorney to help you evaluate the deal. 

A common scam perpetrated not only on the eldery, but on anyone, involves "phishing". Phishing does involve fishing for your personal information through either the phone or the internet. If someone is asking you for your social security number or bank number, get their name and telephone number. After you have verified that they are who they say they are, you can call them back or visit in person. As a general rule, anyone that would call you and ask for such information is someone who shouldn't be getting that information in the first place -- if you're the one who called them, you probably already know the number you are calling is the right one.

$2.6 billion may seem like a drop in the bucket compared to things like defense spending and the annual budget, but the number should be $0. Learning the signs to watch for is the first step.

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