My adopted mother Ruth at her 82nd birthday
Fiction reflects real life, sometimes too closely for comfort. My thriller Stalking Midas deals with a charming con artist who targets seniors. Then the crime became real when my adopted mother fell victim to elder fraud. The circumstances were different from the novel but there were parallels and an article grew out of the subject.
My article was just published in Montana Senior News here.
Montana Senior News also published another article I co-wrote with Dr. Ann Bukacek about seniors and veterans in pain who’ve become collateral damage in the war on drugs. Here is Part 1 of a three-part series.
Thanks, Deb.
Opioid use is a difficult topic to explore, and to make positive changes in prescribing and monitoring any long term use. Working in ERs I saw massive narcotic abuse, in all ages, with people is crisis and begging for drugs. As you are finding, there is no easy answer.
Betty, you are the voice of experience. No easy solutions.
Great article, Debbie, and so timely.
I had no idea that if the elderly victims die that the cases go unprosecuted. Really sends alarm bells ringing as this is a fear we all have to be concerned about, not only for our parents, but for siblings and ourselves too and as we age.
Deb, the family can file a civil claim but that would be expensive and unlikely to recover the money stolen from the victim since the thief already spent it. Prevention is the best, rather than trying to do damage control after the fact.