Washington State
ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES 2020 Annual Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS APS Mission, Vision & Purpose Palouse
2 | Introduction 3 | 2020 Quick Data 4 | COVID-19 Impact 5 | Regional Allegation Data 7 | Who does APS serve? 10 | Services Offered 11 | Alleged Perpetrators 13 | 2020 Successes and 2021 Goals
ALTSA/APS Mission: To transform lives by promoting choice, independence and safety through innovative services. APS Vision: Vulnerable adults live free of harm with appropriate protective services in place and accountability of perpetrators. APS Purpose: To transform lives by educating the public, conducting quality investigations, providing advocacy and offering protective services to vulnerable adults.
WELCOME What can be said about 2020 that hasn’t been said already? It was definitely an unforgettable year filled with challenges, changes, difficult situations and unforeseen circumstances. In the midst of it all, Adult Protective Services (APS) continued to serve vulnerable adults, responded to reports promptly and refined processes within the division. It’s amazing to look back at all of our achievements and advancements throughout the past year. The magnitude of what we accomplished even in spite of the constant changes and adversity is truly remarkable. I’ve said it for a long time and it continues to hold truth: APS staff get the job done, no matter what. - Kathy Morgan Adult Protective Services Director
Olympia
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[ 2020 ] Investigations
APS Reports 2019 vs. 2020
0.1%
70,830
2.6%
Total APS Reports 2019
65,106
24.6% 22.3%
Total APS Reports 2020
0.7%
11.3%
17.8% 5.3% 15.3%
Mt. St. Helens *Decrease in reports may be related to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes to facility reporting.
*The number of allegations may be greater than the number of investigations as some investigations contain multiple allegations. Some cases from 2020 may still be under investigation and will be completed in 2021. These cases will be reflected in the CY2021 data.
COVID-19 Impact
Protecting Vulnerable Adults Adult Protective Services is dedicated to serving vulnerable adults. Since the onset of the pandemic, we: •
Continued in-person investigations with proper protocols in place to protect clients and staff
•
Continued to process all intakes quickly and efficiently
•
Worked with community partners to provide protective services
•
Developed outreach and education materials to address the increased isolation due to social distancing measures
Protecting our Staff The health and safety of our staff is always a top priority for us. To help protect our staff, we: •
Transitioned many positions to telework
•
Distributed proper PPE for field staff
•
Provided resources related to the latest CDC guidance
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2020 Investigations - Regional Data Allegation Type Abandonment Financial Exploitation
Region 2
Region 3
15
10
26
4,224
4,783
5,915
Improper Use of Restraint Mental Abuse
89
144
184
2,893
3,379
4,376
Neglect
2,457
2,999
3,796
829
1,071
1,312
Physical Abuse
1,699
2,190
2,791
Self-Neglect
3,431
4,818
5,280
436
532
551
16,073
19,926
24,231
Personal Exploitation
Sexual Abuse Total Allegations per Region 5
Region 1
*The number of allegations may be greater than the number of investigations as some investigations contain multiple allegations.
7,000
Regional Comparison Allegation Type
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Abandonment
Region 1
Financial Exploitation Region 2
Improper Use of Restraint
Mental Abuse
Neglect
Personal Exploitation
Physical Abuse
Self-Neglect
Sexual Abuse
Region 3 6
Protecting Vulnerable Adults The state of Washington defines a vulnerable adult by law as a person who is: •
60 years of age or older who has the functional, mental, or physical inability to care for himself or herself; or
•
Found incapacitated under chapter 11.88 RCW; or
•
Who has a developmental disability as defined under RCW 71A.10.020; or
•
Admitted to any facility; or
•
Receiving services from home health, hospice, or home care agencies licensed or required to be licensed under chapter 70.127 RCW; or
•
Receiving services from an individual provider; or
•
Who self-directs his or her own care and receives services from a personal aide under chapter 74.39 RCW.
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Building a Future We received an intake regarding possible neglect of a young person who has a developmental disability. Since the investigation, the individual successfully graduated high school, lives safely with a grandparent and receives assistance from a professional guardian to manage Social Security funds. The individual also secured a part-time job as a janitor at a local school!
Alleged Victim Demographic Data
Alleged Victim Gender Not Specified 8%
Alleged Victim Age Number of Alleged Victims (unduplicated count)
8,619 Male 38%
7,330
Female 54%
6,861 6,393
21%
23%
26%
20%
Transgender <0.01%
2,187 1,089 7% <1%
18-59
60-69
70-79
80-89
90-99
93
3%
100+
Unknown
Age Range
Did you know that about 21% of all reports in 2020 involved an alleged victim under the age of 60? We combined all reports for individuals 18-59 on this graph.
Primary Languages for Alleged Victims 1. English
4. Vietnamese
2. Spanish
5. Korean
3. Russian
6. Cambodian
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Alleged Victim Demographic Data Count of Allegations by Alleged Victim Gender 8,076
Female Male
6,873 6,430 5,807
Number of Allegations
5,632 4,981
3,334
3,711
3,495
2,417 1,683 1,287
24
337
215 157
22
Abandonment
1,066
Financial Exploitation
Improper use of Restraint
Mental Abuse
Neglect
Personal Exploitation
Physical Abuse
Self-Neglect
Sexual Abuse
Type of Allegation
78% Not in Residential Facility (public spaces, private residences) 9
Location of Allegations
22% Residential Facility
Offered Services • Information and education
• Home and Community Services Referral
• Area Agency on Aging Referral
• Assistance establishing a Payee
We received a report about a person experiencing self-neglect. The individual had dementia and lived alone in the mountains with no family support.
• Communication services
• Veteran services referral
• Change in residence
• Transportation services referral
The investigator discovered that there was an attorney in fact in place and coordinated with the attorney in fact and a dementia care facility to find a supportive housing option. The person now receives support with daily care and medications and socializes with other residents.
• Mental health services referral
Connecting Supports
• Domestic violence services coordination
• Physician referral • Legal assistance referral • Meals on wheels
• And more!
In 2020, APS offered 47,880 services. We plan to continue expanding community partnerships to offer additional services.
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Total Number of Alleged Perpetrators (unduplicated count)
Alleged Perpetrator Demographic Data
Alleged Perpetrator Gender 17,582
Alleged Perpetrator Age
Not Specified 34%
Female 36%
66%
77 <1% <18
2,501
3,192
9%
12%
18-40
41-60
2,371 9%
907 3%
61-80
81+
Unknown
Transgender <0.01%
Male 30%
Age Range
According to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), alleged perpetrators for financial exploitation tend to be opportunists that prey upon a vulnerable adult. Financial exploitation is the most commonly reported type of vulnerable adult mistreatment and alleged perpetrators are often someone the individual feels they can trust (family member, caregiver, friend, etc.)
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Alleged Perpetrator Relationship to Alleged Victim Chart Title 12%
24%
17%
9%
13%
8%
12%
Child
Family member
Friend
Guardian
2%
*“Other” includes relationships identified as attorney, case manager, co-worker, DSHS employee, financial institution, law enforcement, legal services, neighbor, reporter or social worker.
3%
Household member
Other
Spouse
Staff or caregiver
12
• Centralized the due process unit to handle public disclosure and discovery requests
2020 Accomplishments
• Utilized Administration for Community Living grant funds to achieve grant goals and outcomes; including enhanced training for investigators, development of safety and risk screening tools, financial exploitation support, reporting system enhancements and increased collaboration with external partners. • Collaborated with tribes to develop a financial exploitation educational campaign. • APS leadership became Certified Diversity Executives and Certified Diversity Professionals through the Institute for Diversity Certification.
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• Continue collaboration with tribes to develop working agreements related to APS. • Develop campaign for tribal partners focusing on the self-neglect of tribal elders. • Implement the APS Safe Start Resume plan to transition back to all activities. • Pilot the risk and safety screening tool with regional staff.
2021 Goals
• Partner with the University of Washington to create a forensic interviewing curriculum. • Develop a new policy manual platform for APS policy manual and streamline. • Update Washington Administrative Code (WAC) to create APS specific rules and provide consistent terminology and clarity.
Pacific Beach
Learn more at dshs.wa.gov/altsa/aps
Report abuse online at dshs.wa.gov/altsa/reportadultabuse or by phone (877)-734-6277
Cover photos by Garth Kofoed, APS Region 1