More needs to be done to stop elderly people having their money stolen by those who are supposed to be caring for them, a charity has warned.
More needs to be done to stop elderly people having their money stolen by those who are supposed to be caring for them, a charity has warned.
Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) says more than a quarter of the 3,000 calls it received in 2006 were about financial abuse - mostly from family members.
Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) says more than a quarter of the 3,000 calls it received in 2006 were about financial abuse - mostly from family members.
More than £2m was reported as coerced or stolen from older people, it said.
More than £2m was reported as coerced or stolen from older people, it said.
Some 53% of theft, fraud and deception cases were blamed on the children of the victims.
Some 53% of theft, fraud and deception cases were blamed on the children of the victims.
Most of the victims were women in their 80s or above and, in most cases, it was sons or daughters who were accused of trying to steal, defraud or coerce money from their elderly parents.
Most of the victims were women in their 80s or above and, in most cases, it was sons or daughters who were accused of trying to steal, defraud or coerce money from their elderly parents.
We'd like to see older people acknowledge the issue to realise that they are not alone AEA
We'd like to see older people acknowledge the issue to realise that they are not alone AEA
Examples included a daughter who collected her mother's pension, taking £20 from it each week, and three daughters and a son who took their mother to the local bank and forced her to withdraw more than £5,000.
Examples included a daughter who collected her mother's pension, taking £20 from it each week, and three daughters and a son who took their mother to the local bank and forced her to withdraw more than £5,000.
Houses were also sold or taken without the consent or full awareness of the elderly person, the charity said.
Houses were also sold or taken without the consent or full awareness of the elderly person, the charity said.
Spokesman Daniel Blake said that, while getting to the bottom of family disputes over money could be difficult, more safeguards were needed for vulnerable elderly people.
Kay Pitman, who has multiple sclerosis, was the victim of theft at the hands of a carer who was employed by the local authority via an agency.
The carer consistently took money from the elderly woman's hand bag before a secret camera revealed what was going on, leading to her being jailed for two years.
"I really trusted her, I thought she was a really nice girl," said Mrs Pitman.
Regulations and safeguards
"Every day I thought money was disappearing from my bag. I was quiet every day.
"I was going off my head - I thought I must be going mad."
Daniel Blake, an AEA spokesman, said that, while getting to the bottom of family disputes over money could be difficult, more safeguards were needed for vulnerable elderly people.
"Regulations and safeguards that are employed by financial institutions are incredibly lax and open to exploitation and abuse," he told BBC News.
"Regulations and safeguards that are employed by financial institutions are incredibly lax and open to exploitation and abuse," he told BBC News.
"We'd like to see older people acknowledge the issue to realise that they are not alone, to not be ashamed, to not be embarrassed, and to actually accept that there are people there who can help them."
"We'd like to see older people acknowledge the issue to realise that they are not alone, to not be ashamed, to not be embarrassed, and to actually accept that there are people there who can help them."
AEA is also calling on the government and local councils to make tackling such abuse a priority.
AEA is also calling on the government and local councils to make tackling such abuse a priority.
Do you know any elderly people who have been victims of financial abuse? Send us your experiences using the form below:
Do you know any elderly people who have been victims of financial abuse? Send us your experiences using the form below:
