Seniors subject to familial abuse

    Greed moves many people to commit despicable acts upon others: robbery, embezzlement, murder. But few acts of greed are more despicable than those perpetuated on our own loved ones and relatives by ourselves under the cover of law.

    The legal term is power of attorney, but basically it translates “I take over your life with your blessing.” A power of attorney is given to one party by another party when the first feels incapable of conducting his or her affairs. The person can specify the power of attorney will go into effect only when the individual is completely incapacitated.

    Unfortunately, what should be a last resort to help a desperate friend or relative can turn ugly. For the unethical, power of attorney offers the appointed person the legal means of taking advantage of the loved one.

    Take, for example, the case of a woman we’ll call Sara. Trusting and vulnerable, the 87-year-old woman recently put her faith in a younger second cousin, Betty. Sara has lived on her own most of her life, burdened by the care of a mentally ill sister. Sara recently moved to a retirement community but still retained the house; where she and her sister had lived for over 30 years.

    Sara entered into a verbal contract with a neighbor and friend to clean up, organize, price and sell her few belongings. On Medicaid and Social Security, she had no extra funds to upgrade prescriptions, buy something extra from the drugstore or treat herself to a new hairdo. The money from the sale would have provided piece of mind.

    Just as the neighbor had finished organizing and pricing her things, Sara signed over her power of attorney to Betty and entered the hospital seriously ill.

    Betty went into Sara’s former house, seized all of her belongings, told the neighbor and his helpers to leave and changed the locks on the front door. By doing this, she also locked in possessions belonging to the neighbor and his friends, in effect, stealing them as well as breaking the contract between Sara and the neighbor.

Betty has taken most of what was in Sara’s home, as well as commandeered her bank accounts and a couple of small CD’s for her own use.

    Sara is still alive and expected to recover, but she will be left with nothing. The signing over of power has ruined her relationship with her neighbor, and a lawsuit is pending.

    Vulnerable elderly citizens are being taken advantage of every day. The transference of power to someone other than a trusted loved one can be dangerous. Even a trusted loved one can turn out to be untrustworthy.

    Elderly friends and members of the family should be counseled and firmly warned before such papers are signed.

    After a lifetime of contributing to society, raising younger members of our families, dispensing wisdom and fond memories, the elderly should be protected from the abuses of others seeking to steal what little they have in life. This includes protecting their dignity. They deserve at least that much.