Written by: Andrew Bell

The account of how a concerned neighbor became the lynchpin in the alleged financial abuse of an elderly woman paints a picture of a shadowy kind of crime typically complicated to untangle, challenging to prove, and slow to remedy.

Mary picked up a few clues, now and then, after relatives moved in with her longtime neighbor, a senior living alone. Neglect was the first sign. Mary saw during visits that her friend was not receiving adequate living care. The relatives subsequently “blocked me from seeing her,” so she wouldn’t detect the abuse, Mary said.

Many months later, the household’s financial situation abruptly came to light when the relatives were evicted due to unpaid bills, and the home’s furnishings were moved to the sidewalk by Shelby County officials. When local police were called, Mary got to reunite with her buddy—but at a hospital where she was treated for overdue basic care.

That’s when Mary realized the seriousness of the situation and that she was the lone person who could help, as the victim had no home to go to, only the clothes on her back, and no money. “She had no purse, no identification at all, and no loved one to help. And all her finances had been frozen,” Mary said.

Before the hospital released her neighbor, recovered, Mary turned to her church, which connected her to Room at the Inn, a non-profit that regularly serves food and care for the homeless. The facility generously agreed to let her stay in an available space until her situation was resolved.

Mary became aware of CREA (Coordinated Response to Elder Abuse), which guided her through a legal labyrinth that involved Adult Protective Services, police investigators, lawyers, and the court system. Mary said around $300,000 was allegedly taken from her neighbor’s retirement account over about four years; it’s uncertain if alleged crimes will be charged, she said.

After eight months of legal work, Mary became a court-recognized conservator for her neighbor, who is now doing well and living happily in an assisted living home and whom Mary visits weekly.

Her initial response to help her neighbor led Mary onto a furious track she did not plan nor anticipate. She has a file cabinet filled with papers documenting the legal puzzle, she noted. People who want to assist in these scenarios have no idea where to start, she said. “It’s a system you can get lost in.”

Mary credited CREA for being invaluable in her pursuit to get her friend’s life back. She insists that increased protocols at banks must be implemented to flag financial abuses of seniors, who are vulnerable to forged checks, fraud, and financial ruin in their golden years.

(Note: Mary is not the name of the neighbor for privacy concerns.)