My brother and I filed a lengthy report with APS regarding issues with our Mom. One issue was about my Mom's neighbors who we were certain were taking advantage of her financially. We were told APS does not take action on financial abuse issues whatsoever and the burden of proof was on us. Also there were really serious safety issues as Mom was falling and she was randomly taking pills and getting narcotics from a neighbor ( as evidenced by her text messages). She was also smoking while on 4L of oxygen, and putting all residents of the apt building at risk. She also hit a pole while driving. The list went on. They never called any of us back nor did a home visit despite me calling them several times. Now Mom's in a wheelchair since her the most recent falls, hitting her head and fracturing her back and tailbone. APS was our last resort. They could have at least contacted the witnesses to all of this. Maybe Mom wouldn't be confined to a wheelchair and living alone. Mom refuses to designate a POA and refuses help even to take a shower which complicates things. We filed the report 7 months ago. So sad.
About 4 years ago I filed an APS report. I had an elderly neighbor who was being taken advantage of financially. Some younger neighbor of ours were taking this man's social security /debit card each month and spending his money. I checked this out and called APS. They checked in to it and I think they found him safer housing. But an APS worker told the "abusers" that I Turned them in!! This resulted in a Very Violent confrontation with these neighbors!! And so it was really difficult for me to call them again. They said they do Not take financial abuse complaints now ( this was recorded). Who, besides police takes these kind of complaints??
Well. I don't know who you spoke to, or who received your report; but here are definitions from Michigan's own guide to APS services:
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ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES Michigan Department of Health and Human Services The goal of Adult Protective Services is to assist vulnerable persons age 18 and older who are unable to take the steps necessary to protect themselves from abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Abuse is harm or threatened harm to an adult’s health or welfare caused by another person. Abuse may be physical, sexual or emotional.
Neglect is harm to an adult’s health or welfare caused by: - The inability of the adult to respond to a harmful situation (self-neglect). - The conduct of another person who has accepted responsibility for a significant aspect of the adult’s health or welfare.
Exploitation is the misuse of an adult’s funds, property or personal dignity by another person.
Vulnerable is a condition in which an adult is unable to protect himself or herself from abuse, neglect or exploitation because of a mental or physical impairment or because of advanced age.
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So, the next time anyone from that department tells you they don't deal with financial abuse, I suggest you refer them to their own guidelines. Err, yeah, they do.
The reason I wondered if you could be a little more specific is that I imagine in a department as large and wide-ranging as the DHS it is crucial to make sure you're reaching the right person, or at least the right team.
I'm not even in the USA so I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. But certainly with any clear breach of confidentiality, particularly one placing a person at risk, I would have taken that up immediately with the culprit's line manager. It is astonishing how common this continues to be, though - in the past I have been faxed the names, addresses and scheduled care hours of vulnerable adults in my borough; been given my former partner's new home address by his bank (they contacted me about closing an account, I didn't approach them); been told the recent medical history and current whereabouts of a nursing home resident, my former neighbour. Now, I like to think that I am a harmless and benevolent person. But none of the people giving me this information knew that.
The customer service lady at the bank and I had a good laugh about how I could be a bunny-boiler planning to go round and vandalise my exSO's car. Then we listened to ourselves, and agreed that actually it wasn't funny.
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ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
The goal of Adult Protective Services is to assist vulnerable persons age 18 and older who are unable to take the steps necessary to protect themselves from abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Abuse is harm or threatened harm to an adult’s health or welfare caused by another person. Abuse may be physical, sexual or emotional.
Neglect is harm to an adult’s health or welfare caused by:
- The inability of the adult to respond to a harmful situation (self-neglect).
- The conduct of another person who has accepted responsibility for a significant aspect of the adult’s health or welfare.
Exploitation is the misuse of an adult’s funds, property or personal dignity by another person.
Vulnerable is a condition in which an adult is unable to protect himself or herself from abuse, neglect or exploitation because of a mental or physical impairment or because of advanced age.
******************
So, the next time anyone from that department tells you they don't deal with financial abuse, I suggest you refer them to their own guidelines. Err, yeah, they do.
The reason I wondered if you could be a little more specific is that I imagine in a department as large and wide-ranging as the DHS it is crucial to make sure you're reaching the right person, or at least the right team.
I'm not even in the USA so I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. But certainly with any clear breach of confidentiality, particularly one placing a person at risk, I would have taken that up immediately with the culprit's line manager. It is astonishing how common this continues to be, though - in the past I have been faxed the names, addresses and scheduled care hours of vulnerable adults in my borough; been given my former partner's new home address by his bank (they contacted me about closing an account, I didn't approach them); been told the recent medical history and current whereabouts of a nursing home resident, my former neighbour. Now, I like to think that I am a harmless and benevolent person. But none of the people giving me this information knew that.
The customer service lady at the bank and I had a good laugh about how I could be a bunny-boiler planning to go round and vandalise my exSO's car. Then we listened to ourselves, and agreed that actually it wasn't funny.