• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.

Attorneys & Counselors

Call Now: (281) 759-3213

  • FB
  • TW
  • IN
  • RSS
LP Payment button
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • About The American Academy
    • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
    • Mission Statement
    • Multimedia
    • Published Books
    • The Academy Fellow Designation
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
      • Are You A Caregiver
      • Coping With Alzheimer’s
      • Guardianship & Conservatorship
      • Hospice Care
      • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
      • Medicaid Planning
      • Veteran’s Benefits
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Financial Planning Assistance
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Seminars
  • Testimonials
    • Client Testimonials
    • Representative Clients
    • Review Us
  • Resources
    • Areas We Serve
      • Baytown
      • Conroe
      • Galveston
      • Houston
      • Pasadena
      • Woodlands
      • West University Place
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Galveston Elder Law
      • Houston Elder Law
      • Sugar Land Elder Law
      • West University Place Elder Law
      • Woodlands Elder Law
    • Estate Planning Resources
      • Estate Planning Checkup
      • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
      • Estate Planning Definitions
      • Estate Planning Reports
      • Incapacity Planning Definitions
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Top Estate Planning Techniques
      • Top 10 Estate and Legacy Planning Techniques
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Avoidance Tax Planning FAQs
      • Avoiding Probate FAQs
      • Business Succession Planning FAQs
      • Charitable Gifting FAQs
      • Elder Law FAQs
      • Estate Planning FAQs
      • Frequently Asked Questions for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • IRA and Retirement Planning FAQs
      • Legacy Wealth Planning FAQs
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning Frequently Asked Questions
      • Living Trusts FAQs
      • Medicaid FAQs
      • Nursing Home Planning FAQs
      • Pet Planning FAQs
      • Power of Attorney FAQs
      • Probate FAQs
      • Trust Administration FAQs
      • Trust Administration & Probate FAQs
      • Trusts FAQs
      • Veterans Benefits FAQs
    • LGBTQ Resources
    • Probate Resources
      • Houston Probate
      • Sugarland Probate
      • Woodlands Probate
      • West University Place Probate
    • Probate & Trust Administration Resources
      • Bereavement Resources
      • How to Know if You Need Extra Help With Your Grieving
      • Loss of a Loved One
      • The Mourner’s Bill of Rights
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Trust
      • Things You Need To Do When a Loved One Passes Away With a Will
      • Trust Administration & Probate Definitions
    • Special Needs Resources
  • Contact Us
  • BLOG
Home » BLOG » The Signs of Financial Elder Abuse

The Signs of Financial Elder Abuse

October 15, 2010 by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

Did you know that senior citizens control more than 70 percent of the wealth in America? Combine this with the fact that, as we age, there’s an increased chance that we’ll suffer from dementia or other forms of mental decline, and it becomes obvious why the financial abuse of the elderly is such a problem.

The financial elder abuse can take a number of forms. It can be simple and straightforward such as a caregiver taking a ring from a jewelry box or forging a check. It can involve the transfer of property against an elder’s will. It can also take the form of a convoluted scheme to defraud an elderly person of large sums of money.

The abuse can be committed by any number of people, although those closest to the victim are most often the perpetrators. Spouses, children, close friends, and paid caregivers have all been known to take advantage of the elderly for their own financial gain. On the other hand, there are the infamous scams organized by telemarketers and service providers who intentionally take advantage of the elderly.

How can you identify financial elder abuse? Here are a few common signs:

  • Unpaid bills;
  • Unexplained bank withdrawals or transfers;
  • Sudden reluctance to discuss routine financial matters;
  • A caregiver who seems preoccupied with the elder’s financial matters;
  • A caregiver who seems to dominate the elder – speaking for him or her, always at the elder’s side;
  • An elder who suddenly becomes withdrawn or much less sociable.

The best cure for any kind of abuse is prevention. That’s why it’s essential that elderly loved ones aren’t allowed to become withdrawn and isolated. If at all possible, an elderly person should have as many visitors as possible – family members and friends should visit frequently, and at different days and times.

Abuse thrives in situations where watchful eyes are not present. That’s why it’s important to know the warning signs of financial elder abuse, be familiar with your loved one’s caregivers, and watch for signs that something might be amiss.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.
Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • Famous Estates-Champ or Chump? Nelson Mandela - September 27, 2019
  • Famous Estates-Champ or Chump? Jane Fonda - September 13, 2019
  • Texas Trivia – Name the first of six flags to fly over Texas. - September 6, 2019

Filed Under: Elder Law Tagged With: financial elder abuse

Other Articles You May Find Useful

  • Can an Elder Law Attorney Help Me If I Suspect Nursing Home Abuse?
  • What Do Elder Law Lawyers Do?
  • Can I Take Back Assets in a Medicaid Trust?
  • How Are Elder Law Fees Handled?
  • What Are the Disadvantages of a Medicaid Trust?
  • What Is a Certified Elder Law Attorney?
  • About Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney

    Mr. Stephen Mendel is an attorney who focuses a substantial part of his practice on estate planning. Mr. Mendel’s guiding principle is to provide his clients with quality legal services tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.

    Primary Sidebar

    The Mendel Law Firm

    Follow Us

    • FB
    • TW
    • IN
    • RSS

    Blog Subscription

    Plan For Your Future and Protect Your Legacy

    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

    HOUSTON

    The Mendel Law Firm, L.P.
    1155 Dairy Ashford, Suite 104
    Houston 77079
    United States (US)
    Phone: (281) 759-3213
    Fax: 281-759-3214

    Map

    map

    Office Hours

    Monday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Tuesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wednesday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Thursday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Friday8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

    Footer

    The Mendel Law Firm

    The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an
    attorney-client relationship.

    © 2021 Mendel Law Firm, All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys