# All Hands on Deck: A Case Report of an Interdisciplinary Team Preventing Elder Financial Abuse at a Skilled Nursing Facility

## TL;DR

This case report shows how a team at a nursing facility prevented an elderly woman from being financially exploited by a fake friend.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the role of interdisciplinary teams in preventing elder financial abuse through early detection and collaboration.

## Key findings

- A multidisciplinary team at a skilled nursing facility identified and stopped an ongoing financial exploitation case.
- Protocols for abuse identification and reporting are crucial for protecting elderly patients.
- Early intervention preserved the patient's autonomy and quality of life.

## Abstract

Elder financial abuse (EFA) is a common but under-reported form of maltreatment among elderly individuals. This case describes an 84-year-old woman with cognitive deficits residing in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), who was exploited by a purported friend who took funds, important documents, and attempted to designate herself as the patient’s power of attorney. The situation was quickly identified by the multidisciplinary care team at the SNF and mitigated through early action and collaboration. The case emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary efforts to identify at-risk patients and the establishment of protocols surrounding abuse identification and reporting to protect elderly patients from financial exploitation and preserve their autonomy, dignity, and quality of life.