As we age, our cognitive abilities will naturally decline. At first, the signs of this decline are relatively mild such as forgetting where the remote is or forgetting to wear a jacket when it’s cold outside. Depending on how bad your condition gets, you may need to live in a California nursing home.
Nursing homes don’t always treat residents well
Nursing homes are supposed to be staffed by professionals who always look out for the best interests of the residents. However, it’s not uncommon for a facility to have elder abuse claims lodged against it. Complaints may include stealing money or committing other acts of financial fraud against those who have diminished mental cognition. In some cases, facility administrators may engage in fraud such as billing Medicare or Medicaid for goods or services that weren’t needed or that weren’t rendered.
Signs of diminished financial capacity
There are many signs to be aware of that could signal that you or a loved one could be vulnerable to financial abuse. For instance, making a donation to a charity after a cold call may be a sign to watch yourself or your loved one more closely. The same might be true if your loved one starts to make large purchases or talks about leaving money to strangers as part of an estate plan. Forgetting to pay bills or paying bills twice may also be a sign that something is wrong.
There are several steps that you may take to help yourself or those around you who may be experiencing mental decline. For instance, you could give someone a power of attorney over your finances or ask a court to give you similar powers over a parent or spouse either temporarily or on a permanent basis.