Exploitation in Older Adults: Social Vulnerability and Personal Competence Factors

Clinicians are frequently called upon to determine whether an older adult is at undue risk of exploitation and, in particular, financial exploitation. However, there is currently no widely accepted clinical model for describing or explaining who will fall victim to exploitation in later life, and identification of vulnerable older people has been a somewhat onerous process. In this article, an overarching theoretical framework for conceptualizing such forms of vulnerability and its assessment in older adults is presented. Central to this framework are various personal competence factors (i.e., intelligence, cognitive functioning, social intelligence, social skill, personality traits, physical functioning) that purportedly contribute to, or protect against, exploitation. Recommendations and argument for a more holistic approach to assessing and educating potentially vulnerable older adults are presented, as well as directions for future research.