Q: Is my mother at risk of identity theft in a Florida nursing home?

A: With the rapid increase in technology, you are right to worry about someone stealing your personal information. The elderly are especially at risk, and identity theft in nursing homes is unfortunately quite common.

A few reasons your relative could be a victim of Florida ID fraud:

• Access to information : Identity thieves don’t need much to steal your information. A driver’s license, passport, social security number or account information can be enough to open a credit card or apply for a loan in someone else’s name-all items which caretakers have access to.
• Technological gap : Due to their advanced age, many residents are unfamiliar with technology. They may expose too much personal information online or over the phone, trusting that the caller is reputable and not a senior scammer coaxing bank information out of the elderly
• Trust in authority : The elderly are forced to put their faith in people charged to protect them, such as nursing home attendants, administrators, police and doctors. Some merely assume the authorities are infallible, or are mentally impaired and cannot rationally comprehend the betrayal or injustice being done to them.

Whether it’s broken bones or burglary, we don’t like to think of anyone in our family becoming a victim. Unfortunately, the people we love who are the most vulnerable to attacks are the ones who cannot take care of themselves. If your relative was a victim of financial abuse at the hands of a caretaker, get the help of a trusted West Palm Beach nursing home abuse attorney by calling Fetterman & Associates today at 561-845-2510.