In my line of work helping caregivers who are caring for an elderly loved one, I hear all kinds of tragic stories against the elderly that mirror this one in Birmingham, AL.

From those whose parents who have dementia and have left their home at the assisted living facility and have now become part of a nursing home cult who is selling off their property and household items to countless stories of siblings kidnapping their parents and stealing in upwards of a million dollars in their parents’ life savings.

In fact, 49% of all kidnappings are family members. Here is one example of such kidnapping by one sibling in July 2011.

How does this happen?

What can be done about it if you find yourself in this situation?

As I tell everyone: it’s crucial in having things set in place legally before something like this occurs. Hire the best Elder Law and Estate Attorneys before to know what legal right you have as their child or next of kin and prepare ahead of time.

Of course that’s the best advice but sometimes we don’t do that and find ourselves in a predicament. I’ll repeat, “Hire yourself an Elder Law Attorney” who knows the law in this regard and can guide you in the best possible way. There are a few listed on my blog roll who I highly recommend for the state of Illinois. (look to right)

Another option after the fact would be to contact your Area Council on Aging and of course, call your local law enforcement department.

You DO have rights.