It's true that by replacing the money the authorities will be going against the old ladies' wishes. Possibly, the old lady thought that her relatives did not have "genuine" love or respect for her and left her in nursing home. It was intelligent of her not to let them know of the money she had with her otherwise she would have got much of "that" artificial love and respect. That appears to be one of the major differences between the cultures of the East and the West. In the East, the younger generation takes scare of the parents till their last day in this world and in fact the older generation gets the respect they deserve. In the West, the older people become a burden on the family and are placed in "old peoples homes" and in "nurseries" left to "count" each day of their remaining lives, with possibly just a single visit from their offspring during Christmas.