With acknowledgement that the rate of financial exploitation impacting older Americans was increasing, but little was known about its causes, FSU received funding from Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in 2015 to conduct an exploratory study. The purposes of the study were to investigate issues involving prevalence, reporting, causes, and consequences of financial exploitation impacting older adults. The project was conducted in one of the largest retirement communities in the United States and included four phases:
- a comprehensive review of the available research on the financial exploitation of older adults
- analysis of incidents reported by community residents to local law enforcement and Seniors vs. Crime (a volunteer organization sponsored by the Attorney General’s office),
- town hall meetings with community residents, and
- focus groups and interviews with community residents.
Findings were presented to local, state, federal, and nonprofit organizations and numerous citizen groups.
Principal Investigator | Thomas G. Blomberg
Graduate Students | Julie Brancale, Brae Campion, and J.W. Andrew Ranson
Researcher | George B. Pesta
Project Dates | 2015-2016