By ALEX SILVERMAN
KIRO Radio

Tuesday, we told you the story of an Alzheimer's patient who lost his fortune to an alleged scam artist.

We also told you that if his family had checked up on their father's new girlfriend, they would have known about her criminal past, including a murder conviction.

But what's the best way to check someone out to prevent your loved ones from being victimized?

First of all, don't trust those online background check sites, said Rose Winquist, a local private investigator who specializes in cases of elderly adult exploitation.

"They're just databases that gather criminal information from a variety of places, and they aren't always accurate," Winquist said. They can also be expensive.

Winquist said a thorough check will take time, but you should start with the obvious.

"You can glean a lot of information by just talking to someone about what their birth date might be, getting some kind of identifier," she said.

From there, check public records at all court levels, from federal court to superior and district courts. Records are available online, or by visiting the courthouse in person.

"I'm not just talking about convictions," Winquist said. "I'm talking about charges. You want to see what's been going on in this person's life."

It's also important to look at civil court cases, which often don't appear on online background checks. "That's where all the protection orders are filed, if there's been any kind of domestic violence or exploitation of a vulnerable adult," Winquist said.

You also want to make sure who you're looking up. The Washington court indices can also tell you about any name change the subject might have filed.

Other places to look are the county recorder's office and the state voter database, which is available online for free.

Department of Licensing records can tell you if a potential adult caregiver is licensed as such, even if he or she comes through an agency.

"Often times these agencies don't do the kinds of backgrounds on these people that need to be done," Winquist said.

Another database for looking up older records is the Washington Digital Archive, which lists birth, marriage, death, corporation, and other records going back more than a century.

The bottom line, Winquist said, is this: a real background check takes time, but especially when it comes to an elderly relative, it's worth every minute of the effort.