The Adult Protective Services Unit (APS) is designed to investigate cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Abuse is the willful infliction of physical pain, injury or mental anguish, unreasonable confinement, or willful deprivation of services, which are necessary to maintain a person's physical and mental health.

Neglect is the act or failure to act by a vulnerable adult or his or her caretaker which results in the inadequate provision of care or services necessary to maintain the physical and mental health of vulnerable adult, and which places the vulnerable adult in a situation which can result in serious injury or which is life threatening.

Exploitation is the act or process of illegally or improperly using a person or his or her resources for another person's profit or advantage.

Services Available:

An APS investigation is a thorough assessment of a potential at-risk adult. Within 72 hours of a referral's receipt, a face-to-face meeting with the adult by a trained APS social worker is required. During the meeting the potential client is interviewed in private. Every effort is made to determine the competence of the adult. Other individuals or agencies that have knowledge of the situation may also be interviewed. All information generated by the investigation is confidential.

The criteria for APS is:

• eighteen (18) years of age or older;
• residing in a community setting;
• lacking sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate or carryout decisions concerning his or her well-being because of a physical or mental illness, disability or deficiency; and
• the subject of abuse, neglect or exploitation.

For more information:

Contact the Division of Intergenerational Services: Information and Assistance:
1 (888) 426-9243 (in-county)
(609) 645-5965 (out-of-county).