There are two things I know my 84-year-old father will always have in his pocket: a toothpick and a wad of bills. Like many elderly people who grew up in a different era, his preferred form of payment is cold hard cash. Over his lifetime, he has used credit only sparingly and I don’t think he has ever had a debit card (no matter how hard I try to explain that it is like using cash, he doesn’t buy it). Since he moved into a Florida continuing care retirement community about a year ago, I have been a little concerned about him keeping too much cash on hand. Thankfully his building has a Bank of America branch right in the basement. Not only does it give him peace of mind to know that he has easy access to his money, but I think it also helps preserve his sense of independence and dignity, especially since he no longer drives. 

I got to thinking about this after reading last week that an employee of a West Palm Beach nursing home has been arrested for stealing more than $2300 from an elderly resident. The employee, Natasha Petit-Homme was an admissions clerk at Woodlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in West Palm Beach.  According to Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, Petit-Homme gained access to the victim’s checkbook, wrote herself a check for $2,341 and deposited the funds into her personal checking account. Petit-Homme is charged with one count of exploitation of an elderly person, a third-degree felony. She faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted.

I don’t know anything about this victim’s capabilities or her situation, but I have to wonder why a nursing home resident is keeping a checkbook. These are sensitive issues, I know. As I have seen with my father, control of one’s finances is an important part of maintaining dignity and holding on to some independence. And as I have also seen with him, things can change rapidly for the elderly. Someone who is sharp-minded and on top of things today can go downhill in a matter of weeks or even days. Maybe the best we can do for our loved ones who are in senior living facilities is to be aware of these issues, discuss personal security with them and look out for changes in their mental abilities that may warrant a change in their responsibilities.

The arrest in this case resulted from an investigation by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s Patient Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation (PANE) team. According to their website, the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates fraud committed by health care providers, and it also investigates the abuse, neglect and exploitation of the elderly, ill and disabled residents of long term care facilities such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. If you want to report fraud or abuse, you can call the statewide hotline number or contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit nearest you:
The statewide hotline number is 1-866-966-7226

Tallahassee (850) 414-3300

Orlando (407) 999-5588

Tampa (813) 287-7940

Ft. Lauderdale (954) 712-4600

Miami (305) 377-5441

Jacksonville (904)-858-6919

Ft. Myers (239) 338-2442

West Palm Beach (561) 837-5000

Pensacola (850) 595-6057

While I was on the AG’s website, I noticed that they also provide a link to a new brochure, “Smart Consumers Can Stop Fraud: A Guide for Seniors.” The information in the brochure provides valuable guidelines and steps for consumers to take to protect their interests, as well as information on tools designed to save money, especially in the important area of prescription medication.

Tags: assisted living facility, elderly, Florida continuing care retirement community, Florida senior living facility, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, nursing home, Woodlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

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