Financial Exploitation of Maine's Older Adults: An Analysis of Maine Adult Protective Services and Legal Services for the Elderly Case Records, State Fiscal Years 2010-2016

Authors

Eileen Griffin JD, University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service
Catherine McGuire BS, University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public ServiceFollow
Kimberly I. Snow MHSA, BA, University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public ServiceFollow

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

12-2017

Keywords

financial exploitation, elderly, abuse, neglect, exploitation, aging, Disability and Aging, Cutler Institute, USM Aging Initiative, Policy, Self Determination

Abstract

The goal of this study was to capture information about the amount of money Maine’s older adults have lost to financial exploitation, along with information about those exploited, the perpetrators of financial exploitation, the type of loss, and amount of money lost. This report summarizes key findings emerging from this analysis. In particular, we found that, when compared to Maine’s general population of adults age 60 and older, the victims of financial exploitation served by Maine's Adult Protective Services (APS) and Legal Services for the Elderly (LSE) are more likely to be age 80 and older, female; and widowed, single, or divorced compared to the general population of Maine’s older adults. For the time period of 2010 through 2016, the total loss for those served by APS was $19 million; for LSE the total loss was $9.0 million. Based on these findings we estimated the total financial loss for reported and unreported cases of financial exploitation in Maine to ranges from a low of $74.7 million to a high of $451.5 million, over the six-year period studies.

Comments

Prepared for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Aging and Disability Services and Legal Services for the Elderly.

Funding Organization

This report was produced with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, under its Model Approaches to Statewide Legal Assistance grant program.

Recommended Citation

Griffin, E., McGuire, C., Snow, K.I. Financial Exploitation of Maine's Older Adults: An Analysis of Maine Adult Protective Services and Legal Services for the Elderly Case Records, State Fiscal Years 2010-2016. Portland, ME: University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service, Cutler Institute of Health and Social Policy; December, 2017.