Adult Protective Services
What is Adult Protect Services?
Adult Protective Services (APS) offers protective services to elderly and dependent adults who are at risk for abuse, neglect, or exploitation by themselves or others. APS investigates reports of alleged elder or dependent adult abuse and can help seniors obtain additional supportive services. The focus of APS is to help maintain older and dependent adults in their own homes.
Services
- In-person emergency response, 24 hours a day, seven days per week, to reports involving immediate life threats of an elder or a dependent adult
- Information and referral
- Needs assessments
- Remedial and preventative social work activities
- Emergency shelter
- In-home protection
- Tangible support services, as resources allow, which may include emergency food, clothing, repair or replacement of essential appliances, plumbing and electrical repair, blankets, linens and other household goods, advocacy with utility companies, and emergency response units.
Types of Abuse
- Physical, Sexual, Financial, Psychological and Mental Suffering.
- Neglect by Others - Neglect, Abandonment, Isolation, and Abduction.
- Self Neglect - Physical and Medical Care, Health and Safety Hazards, and Malnutrition and / or Dehydration.
24 Hour Neglect or Abuse Emergency Response Hotline
- Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 707-253-4398
- Nights and Weekends Phone: 888-619-6913
Also contact APS if you believe that an elder or dependent adult is self neglecting due to diminished mental capacity or physical limitations. You do not have to give your name or other personal information to investigate the allegations, unless you are a mandated reporter.
Signs of Risk
- Alcohol, drug abuse, mental illness in caregiver's residence
- Caregiver is alienated, socially isolated and has poor self image
- Caregiver is young, immature, and behavior indicates own dependency needs are not being met
- Caregiver is forced by circumstances to care for victim who is unwanted
- Caregiver is unemployed, without sufficient funds, dependent on victim for housing / money
- Caregiver has unrealistic expectations of victim
- Prolonged interval between trauma / illness and presentation for medical care
- Victim is brought in to emergency room by someone other than caregiver (police, neighbors)
- Caregiver / adult child has difficulty with role reversal
- Caregiver or victim exhibits abnormal behavior, e.g. overtly hostile or frustrated, secretive, shows little concern, demonstrates poor self control, victim "blames" victim, exhibits exaggerated defensiveness and denial, lacks physical facial or eve contact, shows over-concern regarding correcting bad behavior
- Caregiver or victim has alcohol on breath or victim appears overly medicated
- Victim is withdrawing from family, friends, and social support
- Victim seems to be putting affairs in order and closing down personal, social, and professional relationships (If this follows a crisis or period of depression it may be an indicator of suicide)
- There has been a sudden or dramatic change in victim's behavior and / or mental and / or physical health
- Victim has repeated injuries or illnesses
- Victim's explanations for behavior / injuries / illnesses are inconsistent with observed behaviors / injuries / illnesses, or victim changes explanations