In Oct. 2021, Carol Ann Feist, age 57, of Whitehall, Mont. impersonated her elderly in-laws and started a bank wire transfer of their life savings as a downpayment on a
The state delivered a double whammy on elder abuse Tuesday, with an observance held at a Helena bank outlining the stateâs actions on dealing with the problem and a group meeting later in the day to expand an elder justice council started two years ago in Eastern Montana.
State officials noted that in 2020 a record 4,500 Montanans were victims of elder abuse, an increase of nearly 30% since 2018. The probes by 32 Adult Protective Services investigators involved adults aged 60 and older and adults with disabilities aged 18-59.
During an event at Bank of the Rockies in Helena, Gov. Greg Gianforte proclaimed June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. He said Montana had a growing aging population and noted that in 2019, 19% of Montanaâs population was 65 or older. By 2030, that is expected to be 25%.