Successful Family-Driven Intervention in Elder Family Financial Exploitation: A Case Study

The prevalence and consequences of elder family financial exploitation reinforce the need for a range of effective intervention strategies. This article describes how and why one family successfully intervened in the family-based financial exploitation, constructing, and achieving meaningful processes and outcomes for the specific family and context.

Case data analysis and interpretation were guided by Stake's (2015) systematic phases of case summary (factual information), inductive case themes (issue relevant meanings), and case features (abstractions to the existing knowledge). The case was selected from a larger study examining the meaning and experience of elder family financial exploitation based on the following case boundaries: reliance on family members with minimal private sector support, no report to the authorities, and successful outcomes for the victim, perpetrator, and the family system.

The case family successfully resolved family-based financial exploitation by (a) honoring the victim's wishes, (b) providing support and accountability for the perpetrator, (c) restoring family relationships and functioning, and (d) family-driven decision making. A family systems approach and the application of restorative justice principles are identified as overarching case features.

As a study of a previously undocumented experience of successful family involvement, the case findings are useful for researchers and practitioners when constructing and examining the effectiveness of future intervention strategies.