Elder Law Attorney in Walnut Creek
Representing Seniors in Alameda County
As one may assume, elder law is a broad area of practice that accounts for legal matters concerning older Americans. It can include estate planning, health care planning, Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare matters, and other relative routine affairs that come with age. An elder law attorney can also help with less expected and more serious problems like elder abuse.
When you think it’s time to get a legal advocate to represent yourself or a loved one, the elder law attorney in Walnut Creek at Feldman Law Group is here for you. Founding attorney Aaron Feldman brings clients advice and services built upon more than 35 years of experience practicing elder law and related areas of law. This foundation of success can support your elder law needs – by working with Aaron, you can identify pathways toward the best possible outcome and begin taking the necessary steps to reach it.
Protecting Seniors from Financial Exploitation
It happens every day, and each time is a tragedy that can hit closer to home than you probably think. Financial elder abuse occurs when someone tries to take advantage of a senior citizen for financial gain. If you’ve ever heard of the classic Nigerian Prince or Jamaican Lottery schemes, these are examples of attempts at financial elder abuse.
Newer schemes are always being developed, and they aren’t always happening over the phone or email. Anyone can attempt to defraud an elder in any number of ways, and Feldman Law Group has been there to protect elders by establishing conservatorships to safeguard the most vulnerable individuals. If a particular individual such as a relative, neighbor, or caretaker is attempting such activity. We can provide guidance to help you make the best decision for you loved ones.
For trusted elder law guidance in Alameda County, reach out to Feldman Law Group today.
Identifying and Addressing Elder Abuse
Recognizing the Signs of Financial Elder Abuse
The signs of physical and mental elder abuse can be more apparent than their financial counterpart. Unless you are directly involved in a senior citizen’s life and finances, trouble can brew unchecked until it becomes irrevocably apparent with serious consequences.
A major red flag for this type of abuse is isolation. If someone is attempting to keep you from connecting with an elderly person in your life, they may be seeking the elder’s trust or reliance on them as leverage.
Other signs someone may be engaging in financial abuse can include:
- Hostility toward other family members
- Opening joint bank accounts with the elder
- Someone outside the family “helping” an elder pay their bills
- Attempting to seek co-trustee status for brokerage accounts and trusts
Feldman Law Group can help you identify these and other signs of potential financial elder abuse in your family and provide representation that can protect someone you love.
Recognizing Physical, Emotional, and Psychological Elder Abuse
As previously mentioned, physical, psychological, and emotional elder abuse may be more apparent than financial abuse. An elder with unexplained cuts and bruises, sudden mood changes, malnutrition and dehydration, as well as a general sense of fear or unwillingness to discuss their care could all be signs of these forms of abuse.
Elder abuse of any kind is tragic, but when it takes a form that affects the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of a person, it can become all the more insidious. If you suspect a senior citizen in Alameda County you love is being abused in any manner by a relative, friend, caregiver, nursing home staff, or anyone else in a position of providing their care, reach out to Feldman Law Group immediately for guidance.
Connect with our dedicated elder law team by scheduling a consultation to explore your legal options.