In this case, you may have to talk to your parents or their care workers about the issue. Working to solve a problem like this can be even harder than talking to your sibling.
Your parents may not believe that they are being taken advantage of, and may even be annoyed if you suggest it. This makes it worth treading extremely carefully to ensure that you don’t upset or offend anyone.
Getting Professional Help
People often view elder abuse or exploitation as issues that only impact the older person in the scenario. In reality, though, the person taking advantage of their parents can be somewhat of a victim in their own right. It’s worth keeping this in mind when you are approaching this issue with them.
Getting professional help can be a good way to start working towards improving the situation within your family. There are quite a few therapists across the US that can help with this sort of issue.
Therapy like this can help your sibling to overcome their need to take advantage of your parents, while also giving your parents the power to push back when they feel like they’ve given too much.
Approaching someone to offer them therapy can spark a lot of tension between loved ones, but you can often avoid this with simple psychology. Rather than offering your sibling therapy, you could talk to them about the idea for your parents. This can help someone to reach the conclusion that they need help for themselves.
Of course, though, you can’t force someone to use therapy if they don’t want to.
Getting Legal Help
If the solutions above are failing you, this final idea is sure to do the trick. The US has strict laws in place designed to protect elderly people from exploitation, enabling the police to get involved when needed. This makes it easier to get help when you’re struggling with exploitation within your family.
Of course, before you go to the police, it will always make sense to talk to a lawyer for legal advice. If your sibling has power of attorney over your parents, transferring this into your name or removing it completely could be a good route to take. Your parents will have the power to do this at any time.
If the exploitation isn’t coming as theft and you worry that your parents can look after their money, you could seek power of attorney for yourself. This would make it impossible for your sibling to access your parent’s finances without your permission.
Finally, if your sibling is refusing to change the situation, it could be worth starting litigations against your sibling. While it can be hard to ensure that your parents are looked after properly, most judges will be very sympathetic to your case in a situation like this.
Taking advantage of an elderly parent is far more common than you might expect. This sort of issue has become more pressing as the digital age has loomed. Children have greater control over the parent’s money and other important elements of life.
Of course, though, this doesn’t mean that you can’t stop elderly exploitation in its tracks when you spot it happening within your family. You just have to be careful to make sure that you don’t break the bonds that each of you shares in the process.
Elder Abuse Resources
U.S. Department of Justice websites
- Elder Justice – www.justice.gov/elderjustice
- Bureau of Justice Assistance – bja.ojp.gov
- Office for Victims of Crime – www.ojp.gov/ovc
- National Institute of Justice – nij.ojp.gov
- National Center on Elder Abuse – ncea.acl.gov
Websites for National Organizations
- American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging – www.americanbar.org/aging
- National Adult Protective Services Association – www.napsa-now.org
- National Association of Triads – www.nationaltriad.org
- Center for Elders and the Courts – www.eldersandcourts.org
- The National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life – www.ncall.us
- The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care – www.theconsumervoice.org
- National District Attorneys Association – www.ndaa.org
