Golden Years, Broken Trust: Exposing Elder Abuse Among the Rich

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Elder abuse is likely the last thing you worry about as you plan your senior years. Yet according to the National Council on Aging, as many as 5 million older Americans endure one form of elder abuse every year, with a total loss of $36.5 billion.

You never know who might become a victim—but wealthy people are often the easiest, most common targets. Accusations and allegations have been filed against everyone from ordinary private citizens you’ve never heard of–like Claudette Schwartz–to caretakers of the rich and famous.

Most cases—like that against Schwartz (also known as Claudette Rickett)—are closed records. Other cases involving well-known celebrities are front page news.

A good example is that of the late Casey Kasem, a major radio personality and actor. Kasem’s family filed against his widow, Jean Kasem, for allegedly inflicting emotion distress on him, preventing his family from contacting him, and abandoning him in the hospital after he was ready for discharge.

The family also charged that, after he died in 2014, his wife ignored his wishes to be buried in a Los Angeles cemetery, and instead laid him to rest in an unmarked grave in Norway. The family won their case.

Another elder abuse involved socialite and philanthropist Brooke Astor. In a case that made headlines for months, her son was accused of not just cutting Brooke’s medications and doctor visits, but also financial abuse in the form of multiple counts of grand larceny.

The son was sentenced to a 1-3 year stay in a New York state penitentiary.

Elder abuse can take many forms, so you need to be alert to them before they harm someone you love. Here are some of the most common:

1. Financial Exploitation: Many cases revolve around siphoning the victim’s bank accounts or stealing assets without the victim’s knowledge or permission.
2. Physical Abuse: Not uncommon is the infliction of pain or injury by caretakers, or conscious neglect by elderly care providers.
3. Emotional Abuse: When caretakers manipulate, coerce or intimidate their patients to do things they ordinarily would not, they can cause undue psychological harm.
4. Neglect: Ignoring a victim’s needs and failing to follow prescribed standards of care is pure and simple elder abuse.
5. Healthcare Fraud: In numerous cases, elder abuse can be in the form of deceptive or unnecessary medical procedures or excessive bills for services.
6. Sexual Abuse: When people violate the dignity and autonomy of the elderly, especially when abusing them sexually, you have one of the most egregious abuses of all. The psychological damage alone is horrendous.
7. Abandonment: Leaving the elderly in situations where they are endangered or exposed to bodily or emotional harm is clearly abusive.
8. Identity Theft: These are cases where individuals steal the victim’s personal information to engage in fraudulent activities, causing grave financial harm to the elderly person in their care.
9. Self-Neglect: Includes instances where the elderly is allowed to refuse care for his or her basic needs, leading to a steady decline in health and personal well-being.
10. Systemic Abuse: When elderly care facilities are paid to protect their patients, but fail to provide the contracted services or attention, this is fraudulent institutional abuse that cries out for vengeance.

In short, there are many ways that abuse can happen. Your challenge is to recognize them beforehand and to set up necessary protections for your loved ones.

Here are 3 easy steps to prevent elder abuse upfront:

First, use all the legal safeguards available to you. These include things like living wills and power of attorney. Use only well-vetted legal services. Check references. Store legal documents in safe places that unauthorized persons cannot access without your permission.

Second, check in with your elderly loved ones regularly. Ask about their day. Look for signs of change in their daily lives. Is anyone suddenly displaying undue influence over them? Are they troubled about something? Talk it out. It’s not nosiness–it’s vigilance for their safety.

Third, look for anything out of place with their health care or finances. Be their strong advocate for wellbeing in every way you can.

If everyone did those three things, elder abuse would soon reduce significantly in both numbers and severity. One day, it could even disappear.