What should I expect from an APS visit?

You're welcome, RushGirl; you hang in there; my thoughts, hopes & best wishes are with you.

.Hugs & good luck to you, RushGirl.

And boy have my eyes been opened: I live in a mostly rural area and we don't even have Adult Protective Svcs. anymore; I had no idea they still had it anywhere. Oh, it's officially listed on my county's books but I heard that all but one of the caseworkers have either been laid off or moved into Child Protective Svcs.

Rush,
To answer your questions...

What did they ask?
I have no idea what they asked my mom, but I can only assume is was things like: Are you happy here? Do you feel safe? What's your typical day like? Etc...
They ask me and my brother things like: Can your mom get dressed, shower, go potty by herself? Has she ever wandered on her own outside the house? Does she cook for herself? Etc...

Did they walk through every room opening doors fridge and closets?
No. Nothing like that. They are looking for specific things related to safety, and are not interested in your "dirty laundry." ;-) Like I said, it was things like smoke alarms, access and trip hazards, emergency lighting, etc. Since you have a two-level home, they may want to make sure your father does not have an easy access up the stairs. Mostly just common-sense things.

Look at financial records?
Nope, and I don't think they would even be allowed to.

:-)

How long do visits last? Who knows? My situation was different. I was investigated by APS after false reports to them by the twisted sissies. Each visit was an hour to hour and a half. The best thing I did was invite them into the home and not be afraid to talk with them, answered their questions, listened to their suggestions, and did not argue with them, there was nothing to argue about. Their job is to look out for the elder, while providing support for the caregiver when they see that the elder is receiving excellent care.

Yes, I would tidy up. Look at it as a message to tell you to do so. Mess constitutes a fire hazard when it is bad enough, and is not looked upon lightly at all. My Daughter lost everything in a fire and while other roommates lost very little, in her place the fire just crawled pile to pile where she had too many clothes stacked. She lost her bike, jewelry, sewing machine, photographs and everything she had to wear as well as her furniture. So tidy wins the day. A good incentive to keep it that way, and get rid of fire hazards.

In RI I found out that all they care about is if the elderly person is safe in their home. They made my brother have live in 24/7 care for my 97 year old mom with dementia because she was no longer safe living alone.

Rush... I sense you're still not relaxed. ;-)

We experienced a slightly different scenario where my mom's dr. called APS because we hadn't implemented 24 hr care. She lived (and still lives) by herself at home, and at the time she had mild/moderate signs of dementia. We made a conscious decision to give her has much independence for as long as possible, so we started slow and worked up to 24/7 care - 4hrs every other day to 4hrs every day to 8hrs every day, etc.

We were nervous, but we knew we had acted in our mom's best interest by maintaining her sense of independence. An APS representative showed up unannounced, and the entire visit was about an hour. In our case, the caseworker first asked to talk to our mom alone, then to us alone (myself and my brother), and then to all of us together. Questions were simple and straightforward. She then did do an inspection of the home, which, honestly, was GREAT! She found some things that we could change to make the home safer: put in a handrail on the two steps leading out to the garage, add emergency lighting, check smoke alarms (oh, gosh, when was the last time mom changed the batteries in the smoke alarms?), etc. For us it was a very helpful visit.

I think the bottom line with the APS is that they'll want to see that your father isn't being neglected, that he is loved, and that he is happy and cared for. They will look at the nitty-gritty, but as long as you are honestly doing your best to care for your father, they won't "ding" you. They really are there to help, so they may make suggestions, but as I said, we found the suggestions very helpful.

Good luck... and relax!

Rush, APS may ask questions that you think are none of their business. Try not to get angry or defensive. That will not help at all with interactions you may have with them. Answer their questions, avoid rambling, be courteous and appreciative of their help. Ask if there are any suggestions that they have that would be make dad safer or the home safer.

LOL,
" stress myself with cleaning my place " .
i may get the CPS / judge / orphaned grandson visit of a lifetime some day . it will be unannounced as well .

if im chosen to raise the kid it will be for reasons much ' deeper ' than tidy housekeeping .

rushgirl ,
relax . APS has seen some bad situations and theyve seen many ' phony ' situations . the interaction between you and your dad is ( in my experience ) what theyre trained to scrutinize .

Personally, I don't like the reply function, too tedious to read an entire discussion.

Dressing like a slob does not mean he is not well taken care of. Certainly, APS has seen it many, many times before and recognize this is a behavior often seen in dementia. Just start trying to sneak, if you have to, to launder his clothing. Just do not let him know.

Thank you gladimhere! Dad is very happy, friendly, social and sweet. Almost 80 and has dressed like a slob all his life . I have tried for decades but he just likes his old comfortable clothes that are stained and worn to death. I hope that won’t be an issue, but even if not I’m sure I’ll find something else to obsess about 🙄

Relax, rush. They will assess the situation to make sure dad is well cared for. Remember they are there to help dad and you.

They will check for cleanliness, fridge for spoilt foods, bathrooms, etc. Does dad look well kept, clean and above all happy?