Caregiver’s Corner: How One Family Lost Thousands to an Unlicensed Care Scam

As soon as she started telling me her story, I knew the family caregiver I was talking to had been exploited by a care provider.

Her mother had been living in memory care with a large senior living company. She had been exhibiting aggressive behavior — behavior they had known about when she moved in. At the same time, she had developed a UTI and had been sent out to the hospital. When it was time for her to come back, the provider refused to let her return because they felt she posed a threat to staff and residents.

That isn’t the exploitative part. Not quite, not yet. It’s unfortunate, but not uncommon. We might wish it had been been handled differently, but I suspect everything was done within the terms of the various agreements.

So, with dwindling finances and few options on the table, this caregiver remembered that an employee at her mom’s rehab facility had told her that mom would be welcome at a small home that she and her father owned.

It seemed like a dream come true: most scams do. When the daughter detailed her mom’s aggression to be sure it wouldn’t be a problem, she was reassured that it would be AOK. Additionally, it cost less than half as much as her previous community.

Fast forward a couple months and several thousand dollars later, and it turns out that they are not a licensed facility – as they claimed they were. They had been, but when the adult child called the state it turned out that they had never renewed their license.

Mom didn’t get the care she needed, so now she’s been pulled out of that community and the daughter is trying to figure out how to get her money back with no money to pay a lawyer.

I’m not sure where all of this will go. The daughter has shifted strategies and is taking a lot of good steps now, but I wish I could have talked to her a few months earlier.

The biggest lesson may be that no one should ever solicit your business when working at another location. This is deeply unethical and tells you they are not trustworthy.

Next, make lots of inquiries before the move, not after there’s a problem. Make sure their licensure is up to date. Review violations on recent inspections. Most communities will have a couple – there are a LOT of regulations and it’s easy to get dinged on small stuff. But are there more than average? How serious are they?

Read reviews and testimonials online. Keep in mind that every community will have negative reviews, but are there patterns? Is the same problem reported over and over? What is the trend of the reviews over time? Have reviews gotten suddenly better or worse?

Read the contracts VERY carefully. They are written by the provider, and the author has the advantage. They set the rules.

Keep everything that is written down. That includes flyers and brochures. If that daughter has documentation that they are advertising licensed care, then that’s a powerful weapon in court.

Keep all text messages and emails, no matter how apparently insignificant.

If you need any advice before a move, I can help. If you’re worried about what you might be walking into, let’s have a quick chat to determine how I can help you navigate these waters. Book a free 15-minute consult where we can talk about your situation. If you want to work with me in more detail, we can chart a path forward. No pressure.

It’s so much easier to start out on the right foot than it is to correct course after the fact. Do your research, document like crazy, and ask questions. The work you do up front may save the day further on down the road.

🌟 Featured this Week 🌟 

📰 This Week in Dementia News 📰

Overall Topic (optional):

• Elder Abuse and Elder Financial Exploitation Statutes (Source): it’s not the most exciting reading, but this is a vast library of legal information — both federal and state — that can provide clarity and assistance if you need the letter of the law.

• How to Report Elder Financial Exploitation (AARP): “How widespread is elder financial exploitation? Estimates vary greatly, with studies over the past dozen years reckoning that anywhere from 3.5 percent to 20 percent of older adults have been financially abused.”

Help Keep the Caregiver Stories Coming

If this newsletter has helped you, would you consider supporting it?

Every week, I pour my heart into these words to make your caregiving journey a little lighter and less lonely. Many of you have shared how these stories have brought comfort, perspective, or even a smile on a hard day.

If you’ve ever found a moment of relief or recognition here, I hope you’ll consider tipping—$5, $10, or whatever feels right to you. Your support helps me keep writing, and reminds me how much this work matters.

[Support the Newsletter – It Only Takes a Moment]

Thank you for being part of this community.