Financial Abuse
Definition
The illegal or improper use of an older person's funds, property, or assets. Includes theft, misuse of power of attorney, coercion into signing documents, and exploitation through undue influence. Often coexists with other forms of abuse.
- Target population
- Older persons
- Forms
- Theft, power of attorney misuse, coerced signatures, undue influence
- Overlap
- Often coexists with other forms of abuse
Common questions
Why is financial abuse of elders often harder to detect than physical abuse?+
It frequently leaves no visible injury and can be disguised as legitimate financial management or gift-giving by a trusted relative or caregiver, so it often surfaces only once bank records, wills, or property transfers are reviewed after the fact.
What role does undue influence play in distinguishing financial abuse from a valid transaction?+
Undue influence involves exploiting a position of trust or the victim's diminished capacity to obtain consent that would not otherwise have been given freely, which is what separates a coerced transfer from a genuine, voluntary financial decision.
Related terms
- Capacity
- The ability of a person to understand information relevant to a decision, retain it, weigh options, and communicate a choice. Capacity is...
- Coercive Control
- A pattern of behaviour in intimate relationships that seeks to deny autonomy and dominate the victim through means including isolation, monitoring, financial...
- Elder Abuse
- A single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship of trust that causes harm or distress to...
- FULMER ELDER Instrument
- A validated nursing assessment tool developed by Terry Fulmer to screen systematically for elder abuse across all subtypes. Uses direct observation, history...
- Neglect
- Failure by a caregiver to provide the basic necessities of life (food, fluids, hygiene, medication, medical care) when they have the capacity...