Adult Protective Services (APS)

We serve adults 60 and older and dependent and disabled adults 18 and older. We help those who are harmed or threatened with harm to keep their right to safety and dignity.

Types of Abuse

Common types include:

• Physical: Hitting, kicking, burning, dragging, over or under medicating
• Sexual Abuse: Unwanted sexual contact, sexual exploitation, or forced viewing of pornography
• Abandonment: When someone who is supposed to provide care stops or deserts an elder or dependent adult
• Isolation: Stopping the elder or dependent adult from receiving mail, telephone calls, or visitors
• Financial: Theft, misuse of funds or property, blackmail, financial threats, or fraud
• Neglect: Not giving available food, clothing, shelter, or health care to someone under one’s care
• Self-neglect: Not giving available food, clothing, shelter, or health care to self
• Mental suffering: Verbal assaults, threats, or causing fear
• Abduction: Removing an elder or dependent adult from California and stopping them from returning

• Injury that is inconsistent with the explanation for its cause
• The elder or dependent adult has recently become confused or disoriented
• The caregiver shows anger, indifference, aggressive behavior toward the person
• Personal belongings, papers, credit cards are missing
• Hesitation from the elder to talk openly
• The caregiver has a history of substance abuse, mental illness, criminal behavior or family violence
• Lack of necessities, such as food, water, utilities, medications and medical care
• Another person's name added to the client's bank account or important documents, or frequent checks made out to CASH

• The elder or dependent adult will be given options to increase their safety
• The APS worker can link the client, family to needed community resources
• Unaware family members, friends can be alerted to step in to help
• The APS worker can find ways to help the caregiver handle stress
• In some cases, the abuse perpetrator can be prosecuted, lessening the harm to others
• The reporter feels relief that a professional is assessing the situation

Reporting Abuse

Call us if you know or believe abuse is happening to an elder or dependent adult.

Anyone can report abuse to APS.

• Call 911 if a life-threatening situation is happening
• Call 800-339-4661 to report elder or dependent adult abuse
• Mandated reporters may use the LEAPS Intake Report to make a referral
  

What happens after a report is made?

One of our social services workers will be assigned to review the case. The reporter may be called, if needed.

Mandated Reporters

Mandated reporters include persons below who take full or partial responsibility for the needs or care of an elder or dependent adult:

• Health practitioners
• Law enforcement and emergency response personnel
• Employees of financial institutions
• The clergy
• Public social service employees
• Any other elder or dependent adult care custodian

Mandated reporters may use the LEAPS Intake Report to make a referral.

Elder Abuse and Mandated Reporter Trainings

For an in-depth look at San Diego-specific elder information, contact AIS to schedule a no-cost elder abuse and/or mandated reporter training. Presentations can be tailored to meet the needs of professionals or older adults and are offered to groups of 10 or more. For more information or to schedule a training, contact our Outreach & Education team at (858) 505-6332.

The training linked below was created in 2023 for San Diego community and senior center staff and volunteers. This powerpoint with embedded video can be used to train mandated reporters as well as older adults.

1. Trainer Instruction Guide
2. Overview of APS and Mandated Reporting
3. SOC 341
4. Mandated Reporting Details Checklist
5. 12 Ways to Prevent Elder Abuse
6. Dementia Signs and Symptoms
7. What APS Reporters Need to Know- National Adult Protective Services Association

Please note that as of January 2024, the link for the online system to make suspected elder abuse reports is https://sandiego.leapsportal.net/LEAPSIntake/NewPublicIntakeReport.aspx.

For more information or to make a report of elder or dependent adult abuse, please call 800-339-4661.

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