Elder & Nursing Abuse Attorneys of Arizona

Did any of you happen to catch the column in The Arizona Republic?  The reporter wrote about an 87-year old woman, who lost her hearing aid last year and it took 8 weeks to replace it.

It seems the Sun Valley Group was appointed her guardians by a probate court in 2005 after suffering a stroke.  During the next four years, they collected more than $550,000 in fees from her – until her $1.3 million trust dried up.  Reports show that they spent over $5,500 of the elderly woman’s money in a month’s time – none of which went to a new hearing aid.  She and her sisters complained that they did not take proper care of her and let her insurance for the missing hearing aid lapse.  The Commissioner, who has taken over the elderly woman’s case, believes that the original judge did not approve any of the 2009 bills from Sun Valley – some for employees at the home and not for her care.

The question of the missing hearing aid was brought up many times and Sun Valley people insisted that a new one would cost $7,000 and there was no insurance to cover the loss.  The eldery woman’s attorney did everything possible and finally a new hearing aid was purchased for $3,100.

How sad that this elderly woman could not hear and the people responsible for her care were in no hurry to help her.

A man, tried to swindling elderly people in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, California, Texas and Kentucky is presently residing in a Redding, California jail.  The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department arrested him for allegedly committing financial elder abuse totaling about $7 million.

Financial elder abuse is not the only crime committed – theft by false pretenses, grand theft and vehicle theft – are also involved.  The man offered to buy real estate totaling $7 million.  However, he did not have the funds to purchase it.  In addition, he pretended to be the owner of one of these properties and fraudulently took a victim’s vehicle as a trade.

Other individuals have come forward to say they were victims of schemes initiated by this man.  It seems there have been dozens of cases involving this man.  Most of the cases have been fraud by deceit.  What can we do to protect our seniors?

Arizona receives reports on thousands of cases of alleged elderly abuse each year.  Financial elder abuse is one of the more common cases that occur.  There are signs to look for if you suspect your loved one is a victim of financial abuse.

Many seniors place their financial trust in individuals or institutions to take care of them.  It is easy for a financial abuser to defraud an elderly person of his or her money.  There are signs to look for to determine if an elderly person is being exploited:

1) unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals by a caregiver, family member or total stranger, 2) unauthorized use of checks or credit cards, 3) sudden real estate property transfers, 4) not allowing the elder use of his or her own funds, 5) expense jewelry missing, and 6) caregiver or family member spending the elder’s money on him or herself

If you suspect financial abuse happening to someone you know or love, please contact an Elder Abuse Attorney as soon as possible.