While most elderly adults are more than capable for managing their own finances and health care, some rely on guardians to make important decisions for them. Guardians ensure that someone receives proper medical care, even if they cannot request it or don't believe there is anything medically wrong. Guardians also protect an incapacitated person's money and property from unwise investments or fraud.

A Tucson woman has recently been arrested for allegedly deceiving the most vulnerable of adults-seniors with medical needs. The woman was a home health care provider, but lied about her medical licensure. She told her victims that she was a Certified Nursing Assistant and trained to provide the kind of medical care they needed. She was hired by several different vulnerable adults to provide daily care.

The woman's scheme was discovered when a family member of one of the victims noticed something suspicious. The family member looked more closely at the accounts of the vulnerable adults' accounts and saw that some had been tampered with.

Police undertook an official investigation to determine just how much money was lost. After looking at the victims' checking, money market, credit card, and savings accounts, officials found $60,000 had been taken. The attorney general claims that the health care provider fraudulently took the $60,000.

The woman was subsequently charged with three counts of forgery, one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, and one count of theft or financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult.

Had these adults appointed guardians to look after their medical care and finances, it is likely that this never would have happened. First, the health care provider may never have been approved by the guardian after the guardian discovered she was not truly certified. The woman also would not have had such easy access to the victims' accounts and the guardian would have noticed any fraudulent transactions early on.

Source: KVOA News 4, "Home health care worker charged in vulnerable adult exploitation case," Aug. 2, 2011