The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) has been working with the state-level Adult Protective Service agencies (APS) as part of an ongoing effort to remain up-to-date on the budget issues. The most recent update reported in a newsletter by NAPSA paints a grim financial portrait. What’s worse is that the budget shortfalls are leading to less productivity and more reports of abuse.
According to NAPSA, a survey of APS agencies across the nation yielded 81 results from 30 states. The common thread among responding APS agencies was one of fiscal woe. Budgets were slashed just over 13% for the average APS branch. As if to add insult to injury, two-thirds of the responses indicated reports of abuse as having risen 24%. Almost a quarter of the reporting states has, or is in the process of, reducing or eliminating certain types of investigations.
One representative (from a responding state) said, “Counties have had to make draconian cuts to their social service programs . . . The state has also cut funding to . . . Adult Day Care, Alzheimer’s Day Care: all these programs provided a safety net which has been all but shredded. Seniors and dependent adults are vulnerable in our state.”
Read the newsletter from NAPSA here – State APS Program Budgets Slashed Across US – “The situation is grave”
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About Evan H Farr, CELA, CAP
