San Francisco Injury Lawyer Blog

Elder abuse comes in many forms, including physical, emotional, sexual and financial, and has been on the rise. Last year, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris developed the San Francisco Elder Abuse Forensic Center, a new partnership with San Francisco Police Department and the Department of Aging and Adult Services. Elderly citizens might be more susceptible to abuse because their care might be limited to a certain number of people. Some abuse occurs because the senior citizen may suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or another mentally or physically debilitating illness. The most common group of abusers is the victim’s family members, particularly adult children.

A San Francisco woman appeared in court on February 20, 2009 on 13 felony counts, including theft from an elder, for scamming two elderly men out of $50,000 over the last few months. In October, 2008, Teresa Barron told a 77 year old man that she had cancer and did not have health insurance, and needed help with her interior design business. The man gave her $37,000 over a ten day period. In February, Ms. Barron told an 83 year old man the same story and scammed $10,000 over a one week period. Authorities caught her after she tried to take another $4,000 from the elderly man. Ms. Barron is currently held on $500,000 bail.

It may be difficult to identify if a senior citizen is being abused, and it may be even harder for a senior citizen to reach out for help. However, if you or a family member has been abused, you should call the attorneys at Greenberg & Rudman LLP as soon as possible. It is best to have an experienced attorney at your side in this terrible time. Call us now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) to get a free and confidential consultation. Visit our website, www.alawpro.com to learn more about elder abuse.