Can A Court Appoint A Guardian to Stop Financial Abuse?
It is imperative that family and friends remain vigilant when a third-party is assisting an older adult with financial matters. Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals take advantage of incapacitated people by fraudulently inducing them to give away their money. Occasionally, this includes close relatives who may believe that the senior citizen will be cared for in a nursing home, and no longer needs his or her life savings. An unjustified belief of “entitlement” leads some people to financially abuse the senior citizen. One common sign to be aware of is preventing the older adult from reviewing his or her own bank statements. Isolation from family and friends is also a behavior that should signal concern for the elder adult. As part of a guardianship proceeding, a court can freeze bank accounts. A court can appoint a temporary guardian during the pendency of a guardianship proceeding to make sure that no one but the court appointee has access to the assets of the incapacitated person.
