Experts said one in 10 older Americans experiences abuse, neglect or exploitation, and the fastest-growing category is financial abuse. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, spoke out for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on Thursday, warning scammers are increasingly effective at separating people from their money. Total losses from financial scams targeting seniors have increased by 84% since 2021. .
This Thursday is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, and AARP Maryland observes its annual PROTECT Week with a focus on elder financial abuse. The FBI reported last year 88,000 people over age 60 were scammed out of more than $3 billion, an 84% increase over the prior year. More than 1,700 of the fraud victims were in Maryland. .
This week, four advocacy groups have filed an amicus brief in a case before the California Supreme Court involving allegations of elder abuse and the use of arbitration. A skilled nursing facility, Country Oaks in Pomona, is trying to compel arbitration in a case where the patient, Charles Logan, gave his nephew power to sign healthcare documents but did not give him power of attorney - and later Logan sued Country Oaks, alleging negligence. An appellate court decided the nephew had no legal standing to sign the mediation agreement as part of the intake forms. .