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Step 1
Report any strange activity such as elders withdrawing large sums of money or someone pressuring an elderly person to write a check or give them money. If an elderly person adds a person or transfers a title to someone else, you should report this right away to the proper authorities.
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Step 2
Report any suspicious activity to your local law enforcement agency. Every report filed must be investigated as per the new California law SB 1018. The police will send a police officer to the elder's home or the location of the person suspected of committing elder financial abuse.
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Step 3
Report any suspect activity to Adult Protective Services. This group takes all reports seriously and works with law enforcement agencies to investigate and determine if there is any elder financial abuse.
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Step 4
Report what you have seen or suspect to healthcare professionals or nursing home administrators. Even if you are a visitor and see strange activity, report it. If you feel the healthcare workers are involved, you may want to report it to the head administrator immediately or call Adult Protective Services. If a healthcare professional is accepting money from a elderly person, this could be a sign that something is not right. Healthcare professionals, especially in nursing homes, are forbidden from accepting money directly from patients.
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Step 5
Report strange activity to a clergy if you don't want to get fully involved. Clergy are required to take any information obtained about elder financial abuse to the authorities. Even if you see an elderly person giving money to another church member on a regular basis, you should say something so it can be checked out.
