Policy Description
Adult Protective Services (APS)was invented in 1974 in the United States as an essential social support programme protecting vulnerable adults. It aims at shielding vulnerable adults from negligent fraud and abuse. The services of APS are of different categories and include investigating the reported abuse or neglect and emergency assistance, e.g., shelter or medical requirements (Liu & Rose, 2020). They advocate for vulnerable adults by joining with law enforcement and legal authorities and cooperating with the appropriate community resources to address the problems that might contribute to neglect. The underlying target of APS lies in promoting dignity and autonomy, among many others, while guaranteeing the safety and security of vulnerable adults regardless of ethnicity.
Programmes And Services
Adult Protective Services (APS) includes carrying out investigations, accepting and responding to reports, and conducting assessments and case management to ensure that adults who can not defend themselves are not exposed to vulnerabilities. Through investigation, the aim is to dig into reported abuse, neglect, or exploitation cases to ascertain facts and determine the best way of action implementation (Steinman & Anetzberger, 2022). Immediately after receiving reports, APS examines the severity and immediacy of each case and then commences the process with which it addresses the problem. Through case management services, APS offers strategies to assist individuals with ongoing support and advocacy when they need medical care, housing assistance, and legal aid (Martinez et al.,2022). Likewise, a unique treatment design should be created for the state and society to understand the needs and potential of vulnerable adults through an assessment services approach. Therefore, this integrated support system forms a foundation for fighting and combating harm, enabling autonomy, and upholding the rights of vulnerable adults within the community.
Eligibility Criteria
The APS policy eligibility criteria usually require one to meet some requirements. One should be 18 years or older, with fragility from any impairments physically or mentally advanced age or exposed to conditions making the person highly vulnerable to any form of explanation, abuse or neglect (Steinmal et al.,2020). Finding if one is eligible for APS services support also considers evidence of mistreatment, with the APS prioritizing urgent cases as the highest based on the safety of the individual or welfare as the risk factor. Finally, this IPS policy guarantees that those adults who need urgent assistance get the timely help they need, especially those who are the most in danger in our community, to protect their rights and dignity.
Qualification For The Target Group
Assessment methods are employed to determine who is eligible for APS services among the target group. In the beginning, persons are identified through reports about mistreatment, abuse or fraud or by screening boundary people to identify corresponding persons. Eligibility is then determined based on tests like age evidence of mistreatment or abuse impairment of physical or mental health. (Burnes at el.,2022). The eligible families are then linked to individual plans of action for each situation, and specific interventions can be implemented through case management, legal advocacy, and supportive services. To sum up, fragile adult members of our society will instantly be provided with the advice and the aid they need and become protected from any form of mistreatment.
Universal Access
The APS programs generally offer services to more than just poor adults as they offer universal access services, regardless of the individual’s socioeconomic status. The APS eligibility includes vulnerability because of physical or mental weakness, evidence of abuse, and age. This approach will guarantee that all people needing protection and support, irrespective of their financial status, can access APS services (Liu & Anetzberger, 2021). By prioritizing vulnerable adults’ needs, APS programs uphold the principles of equity and social justice by providing the necessary assistance to those most vulnerable in the community. In conclusion, universal access to the APS program guarantees that all those in need can have the aid they require, promoting dignity and fairness to all adults in offering their services.
Funding
The Adult Protective Services (APS) programs receive funds from various sources, such as state and local governments and even the federal government. The federal funds are mainly allocated through the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). The funding may be from specific taxes, general funding or levies and grants from private foundations, funds from the local level and philanthropic organizations at states. ( Burnett et al.,2021). Funding strategies are diverse, appropriating the amount needed, where a predetermined amount is earmarked for APS operations and service delivery, and indirect financing, where funds are raised from different sources and used to finance APS operations. Also, reimbursement mechanisms are another funding strategy that allows APS agencies to recover the outlays of eligible expenses spent on providing services to vulnerable adults. Funding can also be dispersed by using the performance of APS, where funding levels are connected to the results, such as the number of investigations conducted, interventions implemented, and client satisfaction (Yeh et al.,2020). This multi-faceted funding method is the product of the combined efforts of governmental, community organizations, and private stakeholders whose primary goal is to sustain APS programs to offer services of protection to adults from mistreatment, further emphasizing the need for continued support.
References
Burnes, D., MacNeil, A., Connolly, M., Salvo, E., Kimball, P., Rogers, G., & Lewis, S. (2022). A qualitative evaluation of the “RISE” elder abuse intervention from the perspective of adult protective services caseworkers: addressing a service system gap. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 34(5), 329–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2022.2140321
Burnett, J., Nauls, S., Albee, L., & Flores, R. J. (2021). Addressing senior financial abuse: adult protective services and other community resources. In Springer eBooks (pp. 135–153). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67565-3_
Liu, P., & Anetzberger, G. J. (2021). Adult protective services. In Springer eBooks (pp. 60–62). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_282
Liu, P., & Ross, L. (2020). Adult Protective Services Training: A brief report on the nation’s state. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 33(1), 82–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2020.1845271
Martínez, J. M., Homeier, D., Fowler, C., & Wilber, K. H. (2022). Conceptualizing Person-Centered Care in Elder Mistreatment Intervention: Use of a Well-Being Framework. the Gerontologist/the Gerontologist, 63(6), 973–982. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnac170
Steinman, K. J., & Anetzberger, G. J. (2022). Measuring the diverse characteristics of county adult protective services programs. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 34(3), 153–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2022.2092243
Steinman, K. J., Liu, P., Anetzberger, G. J., Rockwood, A. P., Teferra, A. A., & Ejaz, F. K. (2022). Using administrative data from adult protective services: opportunities and considerations. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 34(1), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2021.2020700
Yeh, J., Liu, P., Perkins, J., Butler, A., Stratton, S., Conrad, K. J., Conrad, K. J., & Iris, M. (2020). Focus Group Findings: piloting the Adult Protective Services’ Identification, Services, and Outcomes Matrix. Innovation in Aging, 4(Supplement_1), 47. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaa057.153
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