Definition
Adult Protective Services (APS) is a social services program aimed at promoting safety, independence, and quality of life for vulnerable adults who are in danger or victims of abuse, neglect (by self or others), or exploitation (ANE).
Overview
APS originated in mid-twentieth-century America out of concern among community leaders in urban centers for the growing number of older people living alone, without nearby family support, often mentally compromised, and potentially subjected to harm without assistance. The program rapidly spread across the country due to impetus and funding from Title XX of the Social Security Act, now part of the Social Service Block Grant (Mixson 2010). Today, APS is the only program dedicated to addressing the mistreatment of vulnerable adults nationwide.
APS has four core functions: it receives and investigates ANE reports or referrals; assesses client status and service needs; arranges and coordinates or provides services to prevent or treat...
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References
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Liu, PJ., Anetzberger, G.J. (2019). Adult Protective Services. In: Gu, D., Dupre, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_282-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69892-2_282-1
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