A recent case of abuse perpetrated against an elderly man who was a survivor of Pearl Harbor is an illustration of the need for responsible conservatorship to help ensure that the elderly are not taken advantage of. A conservatorship is appropriate when an elderly individual can no longer manage their life and assets on their own. This allows for a responsible individual to help ensure that the elderly person is not the victim of financial fraud.

A recent news article highlighting the case of a 93-year old Pearl Harbor survivor demonstrates goes to show just how vulnerable the elderly really can be. The victim, after losing his wife, was no longer able to care for himself and sought the services of an in-home caretaker to live with him. The caretaker was later charged with a number of counts of fraud, and may face charges in the death of the elderly man.

Police were tipped off to trouble when the man's bank contacted authorities as there had been no financial transaction on the man's account. The police investigated and later arrested the man's caretaker. The caretaker was found with cash and checks fraudulently written from the man's account. The veteran was also living in extremely poor conditions that were unsanitary and dangerous. The man was taken to a nursing home for veterans, where he later passed away from pneumonia. Authorities think that the pneumonia was a result of his ill treatment at the hands of his caretaker.

The district attorney responsible for investigating this incident is considering whether or not to file charges on the female caretaker for murder of the veteran.

Washington Times, "Our nation's veterans not immune from elder abuse," Laurie Edwards-Tate, Jan. 16, 2012