Financial exploitation is one of the most common — and most underreported — forms of harm older adults face in Florida. It often comes not from a stranger, but from someone the senior already trusts: a caregiver, a new acquaintance, an adult child, or a person acting under a power of attorney.

When a Florida adult becomes incapacitated without a durable power of attorney or healthcare surrogate designation in place, family members have no automatic legal authority to manage finances, make medical decisions, or access accounts — regardless of their relationship. The result is typically a court-supervised guardianship proceeding, which can take months, cost tens of thousands of dollars, and place major life decisions under judicial oversight.

A healthcare surrogate designation is a Florida legal document that names the person authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot make or communicate them yourself. Without this document in place, Florida hospitals follow a statutory priority list — starting with a spouse, then adult children — which may not reflect your actual wishes or family relationships.