Older adults in nursing homes rely on their care workers for everything from hygiene to nutrition. The people working at the facility should respect the dignity and rights of the residents. Unfortunately, nursing homes do not offer competitive pay and impose many demands on their workers.
Burned-out, resentful employees may engage in financial abuse to augment their mediocre wages. Financial abuse in nursing homes can take many forms, including the three common forms briefly described below.
1. Asset misappropriation
Most older adults get rid of much of their property before moving into a nursing home. What they retain may have significant financial or emotional value. Workers might steal watches, jewelry and other items that appear to have significant value on the resale market.
2. Identity theft
Nursing home workers and other caregivers have access to an individual’s personal identifying information and possibly even their incoming mail. They might open credit cards or other revolving lines of credit using the Social Security number and name of a resident. While older adults actually experience identity theft at lower rates than younger adults, they often sustain larger losses when it does occur.
3. Misuse of financial resources
Nursing home workers may sometimes buy clothing, groceries and hygiene products for residents. They may take cash, checkbooks or credit cards to pay for those purchases. In some cases, they may write themselves checks, keep some of the cash or use a credit card for personal expenses. Financial abuse in a nursing home requires prompt action.
Concerned family members may be able to protect a loved one’s remaining resources and hold individual workers or facilities accountable for financial abuse in a nursing home. Reviewing the misconduct of nursing home workers with a legal professional can help families understand their options.