My grandmother’s caregiver was supposed to take care of her.
Instead, I discovered she had turned my 87-year-old grandmother into her personal bank account.
She lived in Grandma’s house, drove Grandma’s car, ate Grandma’s food and had stopped paying almost anything toward her own expenses.
At first, we defended her.
She cooked. She helped Grandma bathe. She took her to appointments. She picked up her prescriptions. She was there every day when the rest of us couldn’t be.
Then I checked Grandma’s bank statements.
In four months, there were more than $9,000 in withdrawals and card charges nobody could explain.
A $120 grocery charge.
A $300 cash withdrawal.
A phone bill added to Grandma’s account.
Then another withdrawal.
When my mother asked the caregiver about it, she shrugged.
“Your grandmother doesn’t mind.”
That answer stopped me.
Grandma was 87 and had early dementia.
Then I noticed something even worse.
The caregiver had started telling Grandma that her family only visited because we wanted her money.
And Grandma was starting to believe her.