image

Mission

The Center for Law, Brain & Behavior puts the most accurate and actionable neuroscience in the hands of judges, lawyers, policymakers and journalists—people who shape the standards and practices of our legal system and affect its impact on people’s lives. We work to make the legal system more effective and more just for all those affected by the law.

Financial Fraud in Nursing Homes: States Need Better Screening for Office Workers

The states have long been concerned with caregiver qualifications for nursing home employees. The elderly, whose health is failing, are at high risk for abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and assault by staff and even other nursing home residents. Accordingly, each state has enacted screening procedure to conduct thorough background checks on staff, and in many cases residents, prior to granting them access to the facilities. Yet, as USA Today reports, this high degree of caution has failed to translate to office workers in nursing homes. Unfortunately, the lack of proper screening procedures, has resulted in thousands, if not millions of dollars, in fraud. Read the full story here.

This timely reminder of the vulnerability of elderly is just another reason that CLBB’s work on understanding decision-making by the elderly is essential. If you are interested in learning more, please attend our symposium on 12/12/13 on Capacity, Finances, and the Elderly: Brain Science Meets the Law.

Source: USA Today, December 1, 2013.