14. Health care "shopping," whereby the elder goes from physician to physician or from hospital to hospital, should alert practitioners because

• it is a sign of financial difficulty and might signal financial abuse.
• it may be a sign that there is physical abuse that the perpetrator is hoping will not be detected.
• it may be an indicator that the elder's social support networks are weak and he/she needs concrete services.
• it may be an indicator that the elder is having difficulty getting transportation for his/her medical needs and social services needs to be called.