I am currently reading a book called T for Trespass by  Sue Grafton.  In this Kinsey Millhone mystery,  Kinsey is the neighbor of an 89 year old elderly gentleman named Gus.  Gus is an active elderly man who fell and hurt his shoulder.  He goes to the hospital and is in need of private home care since he lives alone and has no immediate family.  In the story a very bad woman becomes his private duty nurse and proceeds to steal him blind as well as drug him so he is in a semi-unconscious state. 

This story reminds me that the elderly need to be especially careful with their checkbooks and savings account passbooks.  Even though you hire a person to take care of your elder and you  trust them to provide great care, you must always be careful with others in your elder’s home.  In the story, the nurse also alienates Gus from all his friends.  This is a huge warning sign for anyone caring for your elder.  Remember you are hiring them they are not just free to take over your home.  Set boundaries and stick to them.

I highly recommend T for Trespass it is a wonderful book for anyone who is responsible for caring for their elder.  I haven’t finished the book yet; it is also very hard for me to read since I really hate to hear about elder abuse.