A rising crime with nursing home patients is financial exploitation. Individuals such as family, friends, or even those less acquainted, who sign for power of attorney for a patient going into a nursing home sometimes abuse the power. Nursing home patients are experiencing exploitation where they are placed in nursing homes and the bills are never paid. Instead the money under the power of attorney's authority is no spent on personal purchases.
“You’d be amazed at the people who put mom in a nursing facility and then take the money and run,” said an attorney who works with these cases. “That’s how it first came to my attention: People were placing their parents, their siblings and even their kids in nursing homes and not paying their bills. Then, when you dig into it, you find out they’re living off mom’s Social Security and pension, using it to pay their own bills (instead of) paying for mom’s care.” For more, read the story.
