Elder abuse occurs to 1 in 10 adults over 60, according to the National Council on Aging, and 60% of elder abuse is perpetrated by family members. About two-thirds of those perpetrators are adult children or spouses. One of the most common forms of elder abuse is financial elder abuse. That’s the misuse or withholding of an older adult’s resources by another. If you are a concerned and caring child, these statistics may seem alarming – however with a few simple steps, you can stand between your parent and abuse/neglect. 

Here are three preventive measures:

As we age, so does our brain. Even high functioning retirees, who have no outward signs of dementia, find it more challenging to distinguish between safe and risky investments, according to recent studies. The numbers say it all: only 7% of seniors over 60 have dementia, but nearly a third of those who are 85 years old or older have dementia.

If you’re a senior or you have one in your life, it’s critical to know how to prevent abuse. The Kansas City Star provides some helpful ways to prevent abuse in its recent article, “Five ways to avoid elder financial abuse.”

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