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Question: How does the Elder Justice Bill address financial exploitation?
There are a number of provisions in the proposal that address financial exploitation. Keep in mind that there are two types of financial exploitation: exploitation by a family member or caretaker and exploitation by a stranger. Generally, exploitation by strangers is theft and is dealt with by our criminal justice system. Exploitation by a family member is more difficult for the government to address. How can we know when a son or daughter converts a senior citizen’s assets improperly for their own use? How do we know when consent was given?
The Elder Justice Act provides for the following:
- grants to pilot various media awareness campaigns;
- grants to encourage banks to be on the look-out for unusual activity in accounts;
- model state laws developed to further the state efforts;
- training of law enforcement, bank personnel, and others to recognize signs of financial exploitation;
- creation of a Resource Center to support the law enforcement response to these crimes; and
- resources for legal representatives to help them recover the money stolen.