Bermuda's growing number of elderly people is perhaps the biggest challenge facing politicians today. By 2011 seniors will make up 11.3 percent of the populations -- more that double the 1991 figure -- putting a burden on the work force to pay for them.

In the final part of Focus on Seniors , Matthew Taylor looks at the plight of elderly people who lose their homes and examines reverse mortgages: a possible solution for land-rich cash-poor seniors.

Hard up seniors are being conned out of their homes by unscrupulous relatives, says Age Concern.

Chairwoman Joy Leman said: "In Bermuda seniors are often land rich but cash poor so their equity is in their home.

"Often you will find they will sign their home over to the younger generation and that's where abuse can take place.

"We have heard of things very recently where that has gone on.'' And the charity says some seniors were passing over property to avoid death taxes but losing out on other benefits.

The charity's executive director Claudette Fleming said: "In order to let their children avoid death taxes, they are signing over to their children.

"In my opinion it's sometimes done prematurely with them not thinking about what that means so you may have someone who owns a house worth $500,000 but who needs to be placed in a nursing home.

"They need financial assistance but they can't get any because of this $500,000 home -- but they no longer own it. They only have life endowment.

"They can live there as long as they are alive but in terms of social assistance they still have the house.

"There are so many people signing over their houses to their children not realising what the ramifications are.

"They are caught between two worlds. On paper they have a $500,000 house but they have no access to money. It's Catch 22.'' "Education is important. I realise people have worked hard for what they have and they want to see it passed on to family members, I understand that. "But at the same time I think they need to think about themselves when they get older.

"Where are they going to reside? Children can go off and buy homes later. But who is going to care for them when they get older?'' Health Minister Nelson Bascome said his department had been forced to tackle greedy relatives.

He said: "There are some folks who have even had loved ones put into rest homes and have taken their houses by power of attorney or as a vested family member. They haven't paid the rest home fees but they are living in the house or receiving rent from tenants in the house.

"That is a big issue and a big concern for the ministry and for a number of rest homes.

"We have had to put pressure on the family members once we know there are assets which can be tapped into.'' Elderly rip-off Ms Fleming said there were other areas where the elderly were taken advantage of financially.

She explained: "Electronic banking can be a challenge for older people so they get a family member to do their financial business for them. That person has the control over their lives basically because they have control over their finances.

"And if you are not carrying out their wishes then you are abusing that person. Or taking a pension cheque and doing with it as you like. This goes on.'' Concern: Claudette Fleming Mr. Bascome