A  shocking number of elder abuse cases in Otago are a cause for great concern

In the last year Age Concern Otago has dealt with 168 cases of elder abuse in Dunedin and Otago, with 62 of them involving financial abuse.

The organisations's Elder Abuse response leader, Marie Bennett, says they regularly see a family member who has no problem helping themselves to their inheritance while their parents are still alive.

She says it's very sad for older people when their family, who are the people they are meant to be able to trust, take all their money.