Exploiting Elders in Florida: How Family Members Financial Abuse of Seniors is a “Public Health Epidemic”

This month, lots of people that don’t deal with senior citizen issues or the realities of end of life planning and elder law got a big, huge slap in the face as Dr. Mark Lachs called elder financial abuse by family members a “national epidemic.”

That’s right – right up there with heart disease and stuff like that: a public health issue of emergency proportions.

Not that South Florida elder law attorneys and lawyers doing estate planning in places like Broward County aren’t well aware of what’s happening.  It’s true — family members do take advantage of elder relatives.

Sometimes it’s credit cards.   Sometimes it’s money.  Sometimes it’s a lot more.  And it can mean that Grandpa gets denied his Veteran’s Benefits when it’s time to move into a nursing home facility.  It may mean that the money set aside for his grandchild’s college education has mysteriously disappeared when the Will is read.

What can be done to stop this epidemic?

To read about the study and what Dr. Lachs had to say in detail — as well as what all this can mean to elders and their long term care and their Last Will and Testament, go read our post on About Florida Law.