Financial Exploitation of Older Adults in the United States: A Pre-COVID-19 Systematic Scoping Review

AbstractBackground and Objectives: The present study is a systematic scoping review to determine the extent and nature of the peer-reviewed research concerning financial exploitation of older adults in the United States (U.S.). The rising population of older adults means financial exploitation is a major challenge that will grow in the future. Recent estimates suggest that older adults already lose billions of dollars in personal wealth every year.Research Design and Methods: The review was structured by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMAP). Five academic databases - Web of Science, EBSCO, PyscINFO, Social Services Abstracts, and PubMed - as well as Google Scholar were searched using variations of the phrases “financial exploitation AND older adults”.Results: Fifty-two peer-reviewed papers were identified and categorized into nine subject areas: (1) profiles of older adults who experienced financial exploitation, (2) measuring financial exploitation, (3) profiles of perpetrators, (4) impacts of financial exploitation, (5) prevalence estimates, (6) racial, ethnic, and cultural differences, (7) conceptual models and frameworks, (8) stakeholders’ perceptions, and (9) legal and non-legal services.Discussion and Implications: The review found a limited number of peer-reviewed papers focused on financial exploitation of older adults (n=52), which were spread across a large number of subject areas (n=9). Yet critical gaps remained in the literature, including a lack of research about the effectiveness of legal and non-legal services, the potential role of systemic racism, and financial exploitation via technology.