That often provided an inheritance at just the right time for their children, who typically were in their 40s and had teen-age children who might be preparing for college. They're living into their 80s and 90s. Another factor is simple greed. More than 70 percent of the nation's wealth is held by those over the age of 50. In addition, many of today's elderly are homeowners, while their children or grandchildren might not be, said Rosalie Wolf, president of the Worcester, Mass.-based National Committee on Prevention of Elder Abuse.
Financial abuse is much more difficult, partly because older people .
They're not so readily going to talk about it. When the abuse involves relatives, elderly people often feel they cannot or should not press charges, Wolf said. Quite a few we deal with as victims don't even realize they've been taken advantage of because of dementia. The division refers substantiated cases to law enforcement. And police and prosecutors are paying attention.