Family, friends, neighbors, caregivers, fiduciaries, business people, and others may try to take advantage of Martina. They may take her money without permission, neglect to repay money they owe, charge her too much for services, or just not do things she has paid them to do. These may be examples of financial exploitation or financial abuse. As Martina’s agent, you should help protect her. You should know the signs of financial exploitation for five important reasons:
- Martina may still control some of her funds and could be exploited;
- Even if Martina does not control any of her funds, she still may be exploited;
- Martina may have been exploited, and you may still be able to do something about that;
- People may try to take advantage of you as Martina’s agent; and
- Knowing what to look for will help you avoid doing things you should not do, protecting you from accusations that you have exploited Martina.
See Common Signs for some instances where it may be reasonable for you to suspect that Martina is being financially exploited and what you can do.