Evaluating the Hebrew version of the financial exploitation vulnerability scale.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychometrics
• Criminology

Background:

• Assessing financial exploitation (FE) in older adults is challenging due to underreporting and inaccurate reporting.
• Measuring FE risk is crucial, yet few validated measures exist.
• The Financial Exploitation Vulnerability Scale (FEVS) and its short form (FEVS-SF) show promise for FE risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the measurement properties of a Hebrew version of the FEVS and FEVS-SF.
• To assess the structural validity, internal consistency, and construct validity of the Hebrew FEVS and FEVS-SF.
• To determine the utility of these scales for identifying older adults vulnerable to financial exploitation.

Main Methods:

• An amalgamated sample of 1281 older adults (mean age = 69.98) from four studies was analyzed.
• Participants completed demographic measures, the Hebrew FEVS (from which FEVS-SF was derived), and a self-reported history of FE questionnaire.
• Factor structure, internal consistency, and discriminative validity (known groups) were examined for both FEVS and FEVS-SF.

Main Results:

• A two-factor solution showed good model fit for the FEVS-SF, identifying financial well-being and financial decision-making factors.
• Reliability estimates were acceptable for both the FEVS (0.77) and FEVS-SF (0.81).
• Participants with a history of FE scored significantly higher on both measures, supporting discriminative validity.

Conclusions:

• The Hebrew FEVS-SF is a valid and reliable measure for assessing financial exploitation vulnerability in older adults.
• The scale is easy to administer and cost-effective.
• Findings support its use by researchers and clinicians for identifying at-risk individuals.