Care homes need to be on the lookout for signs of financial abuse, warns auditor

Care homes need to be on the lookout for signs of financial abuse, warns an auditor, after a finance manager was failed for stealing thousands of pounds from vulnerable care home residents.

Jenny Glanister, who dubbed herself ‘Lady Glanister’, was responsible for the finances of two care homes for adults with learning disabilities.

During 2004 to 2010, she stole a total of £338,805 from the homes and its residents.

Glanister, was jailed for 23 months after admitting to eight counts of theft, fraud and false accounting at Northampton Crown Court.

The 51-year-old managed the accounts of Oakfield Ltd, which runs a home in Easton Maudit, near Wellingborough, and one in Yardley Hastings, Northampton.

She was also trusted with debit cards, the residents’ petty cash and their personal finances.

James Harmey, who owns ALB Audit Ltd, said: "Management of care providers should carry out a review of their financial controls to ensure that such abuses do not happen."

Care Quality Commission regulations state 'care services must have procedures in place so that people’s finances and possessions are well-managed.'

"When ALB Audit Ltd carries out its audits at care providers we are on the look out for potential signs of financial abuse. The checklist that we use is the one provided by Action on Elder Abuse and Age Concern, which listed some of the signs to look out for.

"This list is not comprehensive and there can be many other signs of financial abuse. If providers have any concerns, they should always seek advice from the safeguarding unit of the local council," advised Mr Harmey.

Signs that care homes should look out for include:

• Unexplained withdrawals from bank accounts

• Signatures on cheques that do not resemble the person’s normal signature, or when the person concerned usually has difficulty writing

• The inclusion of another person’s name on the bank account

• Numerous unpaid bills when someone is supposed to be paying them on person’s behalf

• Abrupt changes to or the sudden establishment of wills

• The unexplained transfer of large sums of money or property

• A person who has previously managed their money well suddenly failing to pay their bills or keep their property maintained as they had in the past

• The unexplained disappearance of valuable possessions such as art, silverware or jewellery

• Someone preventing friends and family from accessing the person, isolating them in order to gain increased control

• The person becoming anxious and confused about their finances

• Concern that an excessive amount of money appears to be being spent by care workers on the person’s care

• Lack of amenities (such as TV, toiletries, appropriate clothing) that the person should be able to afford

• The person being tense after particular people have visited

• The sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming their rights to a person’s affairs or possessions

Mr Harmey added: “Whilst it is important to be constantly alert to the possibility of abuse or misuse of people’s finances and property, it is also important to consider that in some cases these issues can also arise through well-meaning but misguided action or inaction by families and others.”