Elder Abuse Movie Panel Features Farmington Gerontologist

Farmington resident Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University, will discuss protecting elders against abuse during a Sept. 30 panel discussion in West Bloomfield. 

Held at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, “Safeguarding the Golden Generation” includes the showing of "Last Will and Embezzlement". Star Mickey Rooney, a Hollywood legend, filed suit against his stepson and others, alleging they defrauded him out of millions of dollars.

The film's producer, Connecticut resident Pamela Glasner, experienced the effects of fraud, after a man her parents knew gained control of their Florida home without the family's knowledge. 

According to an Institute of Gerontology press release, one out of every 20 older adults in the U.S. will be a victim of financial exploitation this year, and the costs are high. When a stranger commits the fraud, victims lose about $79,000. When the exploiter is a relative or caregiver, the average loss is a staggering $186,000

Initial studies confirm that Lichtenberg's Financial Decision-Making Rating Scale helps determine older adults’ vulnerability to fraud and ability to manage their money. The assessment asks a series of questions to uncover whether a person may be under undue influence, be psychologically susceptible to outside influence, or unable to make sound, rational financial decisions.

“We aren’t trying to usurp a person’s independence,” Lichtenberg said. “We want to balance autonomy with protection and determine how best to educate and support older adults most at risk of being exploited.” The scale can be administered by financial professionals, psychologists and psychiatrists.

Other panel experts on financial exploitation will include former Macomb County prosecutor Steve Kaplan, elder care attorneys Kathryn Sussman and Monica Moons, and Theresa Russo of the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeast Michigan.

Ticket prices for the Sept. 30, 6:30 p.m., event range from $18-$29 and can be purchased at http://theberman.org/box-office/or by phone, 248-661-1900.