The hard part is getting resources to those who need them the most

Irene Feaster is funny, friendly, and full of insights about her life and times.

But it doesn't take much talking to get the tears to flow. Only months before Feaster underwent a modified radical mastectomy, her son Bill died, the result of a brain tumor. He was 56.

Her cancer has remained in remission, but she has been bedeviled by heart disease, anemia and diabetes. Her son's suffering pains her more than her own.

Feaster says the Lord's Prayer to herself when grief overwhelms her.

"It is so meaningful to me," she said pensively. "It's comforting, too. Once you lose a child, you never get over it. Some days you wake up and it just stabs you."

Those who study financial elder abuse might say heartache, isolation and chronic health problems all conspired to make Feaster, 75, particularly vulnerable.

The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, a research group, says seniors most likely to fall prey to fraud suffer isolation, loneliness, recent personal losses, physical or mental infirmity and a lack of familiarity with financial matters.

Feaster's callers let her phone ring once, then call back five minutes later. That's how long it takes her to get from the living room to the bedroom, where the telephone is. She lives alone. She may sacrifice food when money runs thin to keep the gas and lights on.

Of the seniors who seek protection through Adult Protective Services, 4 percent experience isolation, 11 percent mental suffering, 31 percent abandonment, and 2 percent neglect.

All of that works together to make a senior increasingly vulnerable, said Linda Anderson, division manager of APS. Twenty-nine percent of the agency's clients have been abused financially.

"Often, it's a case of self-neglect," she said. "They may not be eating right. They may not be getting their medication."

And they may be very, very glad to see a friendly visitor at the door, including salesmen who may not have that senior's best interests at heart.

Adult Protective Services has videos that can help a vulnerable senior understand financial abuse. With 24-hour response and case management available, APS also can help make other services available.

The seniors who most need the help, however, may not have access to a daily newspaper or the Internet, and may not know about programs and services.

"That's the major, major problem," said Mona Breed, executive director of Sentinel Fair Housing, a nonprofit organization. "How do you get out in the community and get the information to the people who are most at risk?"

Sentinel educates those who come in contact with seniors, including social workers and home caregivers. Its staff also visits senior centers.

"Mainly, we use one little book called 'Don't Lose Your Home,'" she said. "It's easy to read. It tells you everything. And people can call us. We're happy to talk with anyone who feels they have been the victim of predatory lending. And we have a list of lenders who have been shown to have a high rate for foreclosure."

APS has seven licensed social workers at the phone who can talk to anyone "and answer questions about anything," Anderson said.

Berkeley police Officer Rudi Raab, who lives in Richmond, said neighbors can do much to prevent financial abuse by taking the time to notice the vulnerable.

"Just remember this: In most cities, there is at least one person per city block who could be a target for elder abuse," he said.