Hi there, my name is Patrice. Welcome to my site. I am excited to share my knowledge about assisted living communities with you all today. When my mother reached her elder years, I was unable to provide her with the level of care she needed each day. I wanted her to receive the best of care without feeling like we abandoned her. I set her up in an assisted living community and visited on a regular basis. I want to use this site to talk about all of the benefits of utilizing assisted living facilities for your parents and other loved ones.
As your parent begins to age, he or she will become more reliant on those around him or her for help. This reliance could be exploited by individuals with criminal intent. One of the most common ways in which the elderly are exploited is through financial abuse. This abuse involves the misappropriation of funds and could result in your parent losing a significant amount of money.
Here are three ways that you can protect your aging parent from financial abuse in the future.
1. Conduct background checks on all care staff.
Many aging individuals find themselves living in care facilities. While these facilities offer the around-the-clock supervision your parent needs and you don't have time to provide, they can also place your parent at risk for financial abuse. It's important that you conduct background searches on any individual care staff members that interact with your parent on a regular basis.
You can ask the care facility for the information required to conduct these checks, or ask to determine if background checks are completed prior to hiring. Knowing that your aging parent is not surrounding by individuals with a criminal history will help you protect him or her from financial abuse.
2. Monitor your parent's bank account closely.
Your parent should maintain a separate bank account from yours in order to ensure there is no co-mingling of funds. If your parent is unable to monitor his or her bank account alone, then you should assist with this process.
Often times it is a close friend or relative that takes advantage of an elderly individual's financial assets, so reviewing each transaction with your parent can be beneficial in identifying anyone who may be engaging in covert financial abuse.
3. Talk with your parent often.
In order to provide the maximum amount of protection for your aging parent against financial abuse, you need to know the people that are coming into his or her life. When a parent moves into a care facility, they have the opportunity to meet volunteers, other residents, and individuals visiting other residents. Each of these people could pose a potential threat against the financial health of your parent.
By talking to your parent about the new people in his or her life, then taking the opportunity to meet these people yourself, you will be able to prevent financial abuse in the future.
Keeping an aging parent safe requires attention to not only his or her physical health, but to the financial status of the parent as well. Be sure that you are taking the steps necessary to protect your aging parent from financial abuse. For more information, contact local professionals like Regina Nursing Center.
Share