Adult Protective Services
(APS):
Adult Protective Services (APS) investigates
reported incidents of elder and dependent adult abuse. Any person in
California aged 65 or older and is suspected of being abused or neglected;
or a person aged 18 to 64 with a mental or physical disability that makes
them vulnerable or at risk, is eligible for APS without regard to income.
Adult Protective Services (APS) responds to
reports of abuse from social services and health providers, law enforcement
representatives, clergy, bank personnel and other mandated reporters, as
well as individuals or concerned friends and neighbors. Reports of
abuse are CONFIDENTIAL and based on the reasonable suspicion of the
reporting party that abuse or neglect is occurring.
This Is What Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse
Looks Like:
Physical Abuse:
-
Inadequately explained bruises,
fractures, welts, cuts, sores and burns;
-
Pressure sores or bed sores (decubitis
ulcers);
-
Medications used to restrain victims or
in unexplained excess;
-
Sexual abuse, including sexual battery,
rape, spousal rape, incest, sodomy, oral copulation, and other forms of
unwanted sexual contact.
Neglect (by self or
others):
-
Lack of a reasonable quantity of food or
water, or the ability to safely store food;
-
Home is dangerously cluttered, filthy,
in a state or disrepair, or having other health, fire and safety
hazards;
-
Home lacks minimum equipment and
facilities such as a working stove, refrigerator, heat and cooling
appliance, working plumbing and safe electricity;
-
Lack of medical aids (glasses, walker,
wheel chair, hearing aid, dentures, medications);
-
Lack of basic body or personal hygiene;
-
Lack of clean appropriate clothing or
linens;
-
Demented victim left alone and
unsupervised;
-
Bed-bound victims left without proper
care;
-
Excessive number of animals, feces,
vermin or pests.
Financial Abuse:
-
Lack of amenities that victim could
otherwise afford;
-
Caregiver or person in trust is found to
be using victim's financial resources for their own needs;
-
Caregiver or person in trust has control
of victim's money but is failing to provide for victim's needs;
-
Victim "voluntarily" giving
inappropriate financial reimbursement for needed personal care and
companionship;
-
Victim has signed property transfers,
Power of Attorney, quit claim deeds, created new will, etc. when they
are really unable to comprehend the transaction.
Isolation/Mental
Suffering:
-
Caregiver isolates victim by restricting
or preventing visits, mail, phone calls and other contact with the
victim's network of friends and family, vendors, clergy, etc.;
-
False imprisonment and/or physical
restraint;
-
Caregiver refuses to allow others into
the home or speak directly to victim;
-
Caregiver is controlling, uncaring,
threatening, aggressive, violent, or addicted.
-
Fear, agitation, confusion, severe
depression, or other forms of serious emotional distress brought about
by intimidating behavior, threats, harassment, deceptive acts, or false
or misleading statements made with malicious intent to agitate, confuse,
frighten, or cause severe depression or serious emotional distress of
the elder or dependent adult;
Abandonment/Abduction:
-
Abandonment is the desertion or willful
forsaking of an elder or dependent adult by anyone having care or
custody of that person under circumstances in which a reasonable person
would continue to provide care and custody.
-
Abduction is removing from this state
any elder or dependent adult without the capacity to consent to that
removal. This applies to any elder or dependent adult who is
restrained from returning to this state, and applies to conservatees who
are removed without the consent of the court.
Undue Influence:
-
Undue Influence is a form of
manipulation or deception used to gain assets without the true consent
of the victim. It is the result of a relationship with the victim
that has been carefully constructed by the perpetrator, as well as the
victim's unique susceptibility to manipulation.
-
Anyone can be subject to undue influence
under the right circumstances; examples include those who have been
hostages, kidnap victims, cult victims, prisoners of war, etc.
-
When an elder abuse victim lacks the
ability to resist undue influence and is unable to provide knowledgeable
consent (such as those with dementia), a conservatorship may be
appropriate. Information on conservatorship is available at the
Yuba County Public Guardian.
Yuba County APS Professional Staff:
-
Are specially trained in the California
statutes, state regulations and Yuba County HHSD policy in the response,
investigation and on-going case management as determined by the needs of
abused and neglected victims.
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Coordinate an immediate response to
emergent and urgent situations that effect a crisis or threat in the
victim's situation.
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Provide services to abuse victims to
ensure their safety and well-being, and to eliminate or mitigate risk.
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Provide tangible support services, as
appropriate, for victims of abuse and/or neglect such as food, temporary
shelter, personal hygiene items and temporary maintenance of utility
services.
-
Provide culturally competent staff with
bilingual services in Spanish and Hmong. Translation services for
other languages can be arranged as needed.
-
Make referrals and linkages to other
support services, community agencies and programs that may help the
victim remain safely in their own homes and maintain a safe environment.
-
Collaborate closely with the Yuba County
Sheriff, Marysville Police Department, Public Guardian/Conservator,
District Attorney, County Counsel and local services agencies and
providers.
Reporting Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse:
Persons interested in obtaining more
information or who wish to report elder or dependent adult abuse should call
24 hours a day: (530) 749-6471, or toll free at (866) 999-9113.