Where can I find an advocacy agency to assist me with dealing with elder exploitation, abuse and neglect?

Hi Jander, Begin with your local agencies. Local police dept, sheriff, may have a senior citizens fraud division. Also contact the District attorney in your area. The federal agency ishttp://www.sec.gov/complaint.shtml it is the Security and Exchange division. The Better Business Bureau may already have information or you can lodge a complaint. Adult Protective agency may do an investigation of your allegations. Then there is always your local news media. They are always looking for a good story in which to help Senior Citizens. Hope this helps. Peace, Linda

Welcome to the corrupt world of elder care. The elderly have less rights than a dog. The folks who work in elder care understand the system and use it to their advantage. As the daughter of my elderly father (who has Alzheimer's) I have been embezzled by attorneys, care providers and care managers. The people we pay to provide and protect are the ones who know the system and know how to use it for personal financial gain. My father was a millionaire, but after his new wife and her adult son were finished he was a pauper. I was "ordered' by the state of CA to become his guardian. I was financially well to do myself, but after six years in elder care, I am now living on welfare, and have lost everything I worked my entire life for. The system is corrupt. Those who work in elder care, know, understand and take advantage of those of us who try to do what's right. There is very little legislation to protect the elderly, and those of us who use our personal funds in the name of justice, soon find ourselves on the outside looking in. I walked in like a sheep going to slaughter, with no training or experience in elder fraud or corruption, only an open generous heart, and found myself in the middle of the most corrupt game on the face of the earth. No one told me it was a game. I found myself forced to deal with folks who had little to no financial assets, and who saw my parent as their opportunity to strike it rich, and me as lamb to be slaughtered. It's a game, and those of us who came with an open heart and compassion… and no experience, lose to those who are sophisticated at the game of elder corruption.

It’s time those of us who have been taken advantage of form our own group to protect the rights of our parents. The schools have a school board, Realtors have the board of Realtors. The elderly have NO ONE. THERE IS NO ONE THAT PROTECTS THE ELDERLY OR THEIR FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN HARMED IN TRYING TO PROTECT THEM. My experience and education in elder care has cost me 6 years of my life, and over 1 million dollars.

Is there an alternative link for the Five Step aritcle? That page can not be found. I have become personally acquainted with the ombudsman, and she has been a great asset; however her powers are limited. She stated, "You know too much and they are afraid of you". Which does not stop the fraudulent reporting, the lies, and the manipulation. I am looking for a way to protect other familiy members who are the sole eyes and ears for their elder parents, family member and to expose the lack of training and incompetence of Care givers in both group homes and assisted living facilities, and the various ways this incompetence get's covered up in false reporting, and blaming family members.

Legal Aide is helpful. Many attorneys will advise first before they begin to charge you. You can lodge a complaint with the local state agencies for N Homes and Med Professionals.
Currently in my state the NH assoc has increased their lobby monies by 80%, so they now think they can do whatever they want. I'm in a fight myself. The NH has my Mother's ear 24/7 and can fill her head with whatever they wish. I only have Med POA if she is deemed incompetent and that is the last thing they will do because they know I will cut off their meal ticket. Hopefully the Ombudsman will help me protect my Mother from these vultures. I would rather this not escalate any further but it may. GOD will judge.

I went to SOCIAL SERVICES for the ELDERLY, and reported my sister for "financial exploitation". I had all the documentation. Bank statements verified she obtained "bank checks", with my mother in the passenger seat who had been "deemed incompetent". The credit union knew this, I gave them a copy of the report. I faxed it to the "state of CONNECTICUT investigator". They did NOTHING....nothing....My sister obtained over $22,000.00 in just 2010, and S.S. claims, "as long as your mother was in the car and approved this, there is nothing we will do."
Social Services also took a complaint from a fired care-giver, 6 weeks after she was fired, claiming I was abusive to my mother 3 months prior. If anyone who is a mandated reported, does not report abuse within a week of it occurring, like duuuh, it is not a valid complaint. 2 months later and after being FIRED, seems like clear cut retaliation from the fired employee.
The state of Connecticut is the most CORRUPT of all states.
LOVELY, so now that my "incompetent mother with dementia, is out $250,000.00, and has about that much left to get by on, nobody thinks this is a crime? She should be in jail for taking advantage of our mothers vulnerable state.
My friend works for the same agency in NEW HAMPSHIRE. She told me CONNECTICUT ranks second to last in handling these issues. If this same incident was in N.H. the AG would be involved and my sister would have a restraining order against her, and would have her wages attached to pay the money back.

Jander, I agree with you 100% and also feel the need to become more active in Caregiver Advocacy. I have applied to East Carolina University for just that reason, I hope to attend their school of Social Work and work with their Institute on Aging with a goal to work specifically as a Caregiver Advocate in some way. I'd like to keep in touch with you about all this, I'll send a note to your profile page.

One more thing, this is the web adress of the National Family Caregiver Association,

www.thefamilycaregiver.org

They are the only formal group I found that deals with Political Action and involvement on behave of Family Caregivers. I have been a member for a couple of years now.

Stay Strong, Ted.

Thanks for the info. I will contact them. As you, I intend to us my experience to make a difference for the elderly. Unless you have walked in the shoes of one of us who has been on the battlefield, one can have no idea of the abuse and exploitation that takes place, and the corruption that exists amongst those who are paid to protect!