ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Importance Of Background Check
Keep Credit Cards And Confidential Information Secure
Monitor Accounts Daily
Based on years of financial elder abuse litigation experience at Evans Law Firm, Inc., we know that the risk of financial elder abuse of seniors by their in-home caregivers is all too real. We know firsthand what an unscrupulous caregiver can do if they can access a senior’s finances. With good reason, seniors and their families hesitate when hiring a caregiver, housekeepers, and even plumbers and handymen. Whenever a strange enters a senior’s home, there is a risk of theft. But the reality is that in-home help may be essential and an older loved one may insist on staying in their home rather than moving to a care facility. Below we offer some tips on hiring and monitory any in-home caregiver in order to protect your older loved one for abuse. If you suspect abuse of an older loved one or friend by anyone, call us and we can help. Evans Law Firm, Inc. represents victims of financial elder abuse from any source, be it caregivers, trustees, bookkeepers, persons with Powers of Attorney and others. Call us today at (415)441-8669 or TOLL FREE 1-888-80EVANS (888-503-8267) if any senior loved one has suffered any kind of financial elder or dependent adult abuse in Marin or elsewhere in California.
Keep Confidential Information Off Limits
Caregivers are paid to provide care, and not help with finances or run errands with credit cards or blank checks. Make it very clear to any caregiver that your loved one’s financial and money matters are none of their business. Keep all confidential information, Social Security numbers, PINs, account numbers, and even date of birth information out of reach.
Secure Valuables Against Caregiver Theft & Use an Inventory List
Before home services begin with a new caregiver, all valuable possessions in the home should be removed or secured away out of plain sight. After securing all valuables away there will be no things disappearing or to go missing. The next step is to create an inventory list that catalogs all valuables. Make sure to record the exact location each item is stored. It is important to update the inventory list as items are moved, sold, or given to other people.
Monitor Transactions
Secure the senior’s finances by monitoring the transaction activities of their electronic accounts. Create a new password and keep all log in information safe from wandering eyes. Do not let a caregiver know, or have access to, a senior’s Social Security Number or bank account numbers. You may want to redirect the mail to your own home so that a caregiver cannot rummage through a senior’s mail. You may also switch to paperless statements for everything and have them sent to you, not to any email address or app the caregiver can access. As you monitor accounts, indicators of unusual activity include new and increasing charges and missing monthly deposits. Remember that a senior’s finances are none of a caregiver’s business; they are there just to take care of a senior, not to pry into personal, financial, or family affairs. Never, ever grant a power of attorney to a caregiver or a bookkeeper. Accompany older loved ones whenever they go shopping or go to the bank or have any sort of meeting about financial matters. You can be there to protect them from outright theft and the problems they may get into if they are sold an unsuitable investment or insurance product like an annuity.
Contact Us
Ingrid M. Evans represents elder and dependent adults in Marin and throughout California who are victims of any kind of financial exploitation or other abuse. Ingrid can be reached at (415) 441-8669 or TOLL FREE 1-888-80EVANS (888-503-8267), or email us at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>.
