How to find help responding to elder financial abuse

Preventing elder financial abuse in long-term care communities

CFPB has three resources on preventing elder financial abuse in nursing homes and assisted living communities. One is a guide for long-term care community staff, one is a guide for family and friends of people living in long-term care, and one is a handout on how to report elder financial abuse.

For nursing home and assisted living community staff

Download or order free copies of the guide for nursing homes and assisted living communities

For family and friends of people living in nursing homes and assisted living communities

Download or order free copies of the guide for family and friends

Read, download , or order free copies of the reporting elder financial abuse handout

Local and state resources

Description	Action
Adult Protective Services (APS) Find state or local agencies that receive and investigate reports of suspected elder or vulnerable adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation through the national Eldercare Locator. The National Adult Protective Services Association also lists contact information for APS offices by state.	Visit Eldercare Locator Call 800-677-1116 Visit NAPSA site
Area Agency on Aging/Aging and Disability Resource Center (AAA/ADRC) Find local agencies that provide information about aging and disability services, including resources for caregivers, through the national Eldercare Locator.	Visit Eldercare Locator Call 800-677-1116
Elder care mediation Search for mediators who can help find solutions to disagreements among family members and other individuals about caregiving and finances.	Visit site
Long-term care ombudsman program The National Long-term Care Ombudsman Resource Center has detailed information about ombudsman roles and programs. You can also find state and local long-term care ombudsman programs through the national Eldercare Locator.	Visit LTC Ombudsman Resource Center Call 202-332-2275 Visit Eldercare Locator
Police or sheriff The National Neighborhood Watch has a search tool you can use to find your local law enforcement agency. You can also check your local directory or search online.	Visit site
State attorney general Find your state attorney general on the National Association of Attorneys General website.	Visit site

Legal help

Description	Action
Free legal services for people over age 60 Find local programs that provide free legal help to people over age 60 through the national Eldercare Locator.	Visit Eldercare Locator Call 800-677-1116
Free legal services for people with low income Find local programs that provide free legal help to lower-income individuals on the Legal Services Corporation website.	Visit site
Private or fee-for-service lawyers Find a lawyer in any state using the American Bar Association’s website.	Visit site
Information on laws about elder financial abuse The U.S. Department of Justice provides an overview of state civil and criminal laws about elder financial abuse.	Visit site
Information on legal issues affecting people living in nursing homes and assisted living communities The National Center on Law & Elder Rights has information on legal assistance, financial security, guardianship, decision-making capacity, and other topics.	Visit site

Benefits

Description	Action
Help finding benefits BenefitsCheckUp, a free service from the National Council on Aging, helps adults age 55+ identify benefits that could save them money and cover the costs of everyday expenses.	Visit site
Medicaid/medical assistance Find a listing of state agencies that provide Medicaid or medical assistance on the federal Benefits.gov website.	Visit site
Social Security Find information about Social Security benefits, appeals, and representative payees.	Visit site
Veterans benefits The Department of Veterans Affairs provides information about eligibility, health and long-term care benefits, and in-home care for veterans.	Visit site

Help from federal agencies

Description	Action
Federal Trade Commission The FTC has information about identifying and reporting fraud and scams.	Visit site Report fraud or scams
Internet crimes The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has a tip sheet on international internet scams and accepts complaints about online crime.	Visit site Download tip sheet
Scams by mail Contact the United States Postal Inspection Service about any scams that use the U.S. mail service.	Report mail scams Call 877-876-2455
Social Security scams Report stolen Social Security numbers or Social Security scams online or to the Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline.	Report scams Call 800-269-0271
U.S. Department of Justice Find other types of support in your state or community for people experiencing elder abuse.	Visit site Find resources in your neighborhood

Other resources

Description	Action
Resources for health care and long-term care professionals The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) provides links to information and resources to help identify elder fraud and financial abuse, including a screening tool for clinicians.	Visit site
Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation The National Center on Elder Abuse has research, training, and resources to help prevent elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.	Visit site
National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative This program works to prevent and identify abuse of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian older adults.	Visit site

Legal disclaimer

The content on this page provides general consumer information. It is not legal advice or regulatory guidance. The CFPB updates this information periodically. This information may include links or references to third-party resources or content. We do not endorse the third-party or guarantee the accuracy of this third-party information. There may be other resources that also serve your needs.