Our assisted living option provides
personalized help, supportive services and
compassionate care in a professionally
managed and carefully designed community
setting. It’s the perfect alternative if you can
no longer live on your own at home, yet don’t
need 24-hour, complex medical supervision.
Leave your winter worries behind and
call Jane today at 419.624.1171
to schedule your personalized tour.
The perfect alternative.
INDEPENDENT LIVING ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE
REHABILITATION SKILLED NURSING
5000 Providence Drive | Sandusky, Ohio
The Commons of Providence
A FRANCISCAN LIVING COMMUNITY
A Day In the Life of a FINANCIAL ELDER ABUSE INVESTIGATOR
Dave Pigman is Erie County’s first Financial Elder Abuse Investigator and he talked with me about his new job.
“I got a really good case right off the bat,” he said. “You have to be really thorough, get every record you can get your
hands on, interview people, go through every document. It’s very time consuming. I like it. It’s like putting a puzzle
together,” he said.
Dave retired from the Norwalk Police Department and is not surprised by the reports he receives. “I have
seen this happen over the years. Normally, no one wants to do anything about it,” he said. By that he
means it is typically a family member who is financially abusing the older person and no one will report.
This job has caused him to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease as it pertains to financial
elder abuse. He has always known that older people are more trusting, because that was the
culture of their generation. Those who have “Mild Cognitive Impairment”, which is the very
beginning of dementia, lose the cognitive ability to be distrusting/suspicious of others.
He sees the use of undue influence all the time. This is when somebody influences
another to do something that person wouldn’t normally do. “People who scam will build
up the victim. They build up the trust, form a bond, then they begin the exploitation.” He
sees this in cases of telephone scams. “It’s even more gut-wrenching when it’s family
practicing the undue influence,” he said.
Dave’s advice, “If you suspect that you have been scammed, tell others. Tell
Serving Our Seniors, the bank teller – anyone else you trust. The reason
financial elder abuse is so prevalent is because the abusers know their
victim won’t say anything.”
By Sue Daugherty
419-624-1856 800-564-1856
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Serving Our Seniors is someone to call when you need help.
