The Connecticut Elder Law Blog

Seniors Beware of Investor Fraud

Unfortunately, as the U.S. population continues to age we will most likely see an increase in the number of scams and fraudulent activity directed at our vulnerable elderly population.  One poignant example of such predatory practices is known as "investment fraud" as con artists flock to where the money is, and the money is increasingly located in the pockets of seniors and baby boomers.  Investment fraud against seniors rose a whopping 40% last year, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association. 

Seniors and their families should note that some investment advisers tout their "certification" as specialists in the area of retirement planning or advising seniors.  But such designations sometimes require very little training to obtain and are occasionally altogether bogus. 

I find that the best way to find the legitimate advisers who specialize in helping seniors is not to attend free-lunch seminars, but to get referrals from people you trust: family, friends, colleagues, attorneys, accountants, etc.

If anyone in the Hartford County would like a referral for very competent investment advisers who are genuine specialists in assisting seniors, please contact me offline.

May is "Older Americans" Month!

This is a friendly reminder that May is "Older Americans" Month and Senior Citizens Day falls on May 20th this year.

Of course, we should celebrate the enormous contributions provided by our seniors on a daily basis, but let's try to make a concerted effort this month to express our appreciation and support of this fast-growing age group!  Click here to find some ideas about how you can celebrate Older Americans Month in your community.

Check Out USA.gov

I usually browse online journals, newspapers and other publications for post topics.  But I recently discovered that our own US government offers an absolute wealth of helpful information at USA.gov.  The site has an extensive section devoted to "Senior Citizens' Resourses" which includes sub-topics like consumer protection, caregivers' resources, housing and retirement.  Defintiely worth a peek.

Surge in Nursing Home Citations

USA Today is reporting that the number of citations for nursing homes puttting patients in "immediate jeopardy" increased by 22% from 2000 to 2006.  These citations are the most serious reprimands that federal inspectors can issue.  So it appears that the nursing home care concerns that have been widely publicized in Connecticut over the last month or so are not exclusive to the Nutmeg State.

The article points out that the statistic does not necessarily mean that nursing home care is getting worse, but perhaps inspectors are now doing a better job of discovering care problems. 

In any case, this seems to be a widening national issue, and it may evolve into a presidential campaign issue in the coming months.  Some candidates have already called for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to release their full list of the 120 "special focus facilities".  Only 54 names from that list have been released to the public so far.

Click here for the full USA Today article.

Elderly Drivers May Not Be As Bad As You Think

The issue of whether mom or dad should stop driving due to their age, and how, exactly, to get the keys away from them is an enormous issue for a lot of my clients (a topic that is certainly worthy of a future post). 

But a recent Irish study indicates that this issue is, in general, not quite as pressing as most people think.  In fact, the study determined that the accident rate for dementia patients is "acceptably low" for up to three years after the diagnosis.

You can read the full article at RedOrbit.

Massachusetts Cracks Down on Senior Financial Scams

Bravo to our northern neighbor!  Massachusetts has passed legislation that requires financial advisors to acquire certification from a nationally-recognized certification agency before proclaiming themselves "experts" in giving financial advice to the elderly. The new rules start on June 1st and they are the first such rules in the United States.

Senior citizens with large retirement accounts can be targets for financial scam artists who are more interested in a large commissions than in giving sound financial advice.  Seminars that draw attendees by offering free lunches or dinners have prompted an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

The new rules in Massachusetts govern the use of credentials and professional designations that use words such as 'senior', 'retirement', 'elder' in combination with words such as 'certified', 'adviser', 'specialist' to imply a special certification or training in advising or servicing investors over 65.

Suffice it to say that Massachusetts seniors are not the only seniors in the country who are facing this problem.  It's time for Connecticut and other states to consider a similar approach to protecting its seniors from financial predators.