Woman Accused of Exploiting Elder's Finances Denies Claims
A licensed nurse’s assistant at Thompson House in New Hampshire was accused of financial exploitation against an elderly woman living at the facility. The woman was accused of making cash withdrawals from the elderly woman’s credit card. In total, The woman reportedly stole $8,000 from the woman’s accounts. The 85-year-old woman was reportedly admitted to the hospital when a Thompson House employee found her in her wheelchair unresponsive. Following the financial exploitation accusations, the Brattleboro Police Department joined with the Medicaid.
Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit of Vermont’s Attorney General’s Office to conduct an investigation into the matter. The Brattleboro Reformer report states that the 85-year-old woman died while being cared for at the hospital. Between March 23rd when she was hospitalized and April 1st when she died, the suspicious transactions began to take place
This incident demonstrates how most elder financial abuse and exploitation cases occur. The perpetrator takes advantage of a time when the victim is completely unaware of their financial standing. Unfortunately, if the woman is convicted of this crime, the 85-year-old woman will not be able to see the justice the woman is served for her actions. The elderly woman passed away during a time when her financial standing was in peril and she could potentially have lost all her money. The report states that the facility where the woman worked conducted background checks prior to hiring the woman. However, conducting a background check may not necessarily prove to be 100% certain in preventing a person with a criminal past from becoming an employee at a nursing home or assisted living facility. As a result, it is very easy for an elderly person to be victimized and abused physically, mentally, or financially.
