In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Adult Protective Services (APS) are
social services
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
provided to abused, neglected, or exploited older adults and adults with significant disabilities.
APS is typically administered by local or state health, aging, or regulatory departments and includes a multidisciplinary approach to helping older adults, and younger adults with disabilities, who are victims.
Services range from the initial investigation of mistreatment, to health and supportive services and legal interventions, up to and including the appointment of surrogate decision-makers such as
legal guardians
A legal guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court or otherwise has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to make decisions relevant to the personal and property interests of another person who is deemed incompetent, call ...
.
While some states provide adult protective services to older adults only, as in
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
where the APS law applies to those 60 and older,
most serve adults with disabilities over the age of 18 who meet the state's definition of "vulnerable".
Disabilities may be due to aging, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, mental illness or cognitive impairments.
Forms of abuse include physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse as well as financial exploitation.
"Neglect" can be perpetrated by any
caregiver
A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
who has accepted the responsibility of assisting an older person or an adult with disabilities.
Most states include
self-neglect
Self-neglect is a behavioral condition in which an individual neglects to attend to their basic needs, such as personal hygiene, appropriate clothing, feeding, or tending appropriately to any medical conditions they have. More generally, any lack ...
in their definitions of those needing adult protective services.
Self-neglect refers to a person who is unable to care for themselves due to physical or cognitive impairments.
See also
*
Vulnerable adult
A vulnerable adult is defined as an individual age 18 or older who has the functional, mental, or physical inability to care for themselves. It can also refer to one who is unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation. A ...
*
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is a term used in the United Kingdom and Ireland to denote measures to protect the health, well-being and human rights of individuals, which allow people—especially children, young people and vulnerable adults—to live free from ...
References
Further reading
* National Adult Protective Services Resource Center, 2012
"Adult Protective Services in 2012: Increasingly Vulnerable."* Este, Stephen, 2007
"The Challenges of Accountability in the Human Services: Performance Management in the Adult Protective Services Program of Texas"(2007). Applied Research Projects.
Texas State University
Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...
Paper 250.
* Wold, Kezeli, 2010
"Adult Protective Services Specialists in Texas: Perceptions of Three Factors Affecting Turnover" Applied Research Projects.
Texas State University
Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...
Paper 328.
External links
National Adult Protective Services AssociationNational Center on Elder AbuseInternational Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse Adult Protective Service Association of Ontario Senior Abuse Awareness and Prevention
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Social care in the United States
Vulnerable adults