Adult Protective Services (APS) (2024)

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• Warning Signs of Abuse

  The following items are possible warning signs that abuse might be occurring to an older or disabled adult. If you observe some or all of these occurring with an older or disabled adult you know, consider alerting Adult Protective Services.

  • Injury that is inconsistent with the explanation for its cause
  • The elder or dependent adult has recently become confused or disoriented
  • The caregiver shows anger, indifference, aggressive behavior toward the person
  • Personal belongings, papers, credit cards are missing
  • Hesitation from the elder to talk openly
  • The caregiver has a history of substance abuse, mental illness, criminal behavior or family violence
  • Lack of necessities, such as food, water, utilities, medications and medical care
  • Another person's name added to the client's bank account or important documents, or frequent checks made out toCASH

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• Benefits of Reporting Abuse
  • The elder or dependent adult will be given options to increase their safety
  • The APS worker can link the client, family to needed community resources
  • Unaware family members, friends can be alerted to step in to help
  • The APS worker can find ways to help the caregiver handle stress
  • In some cases, the abuse perpetrator can be prosecuted, lessening the harm to others
  • The reporter feels relief that a professional is assessing the situation

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• In-Person Elder Abuse/Mandated Reporter Training for Groups

  For an in-depth look at San Diego-specific elder information, contact AIS to schedule a no-cost elder abuse and/or mandated reporter training. Presentations can be tailored to meet the needs of professionals or older adults and are offered to groups of 10 or more. For more information or to schedule a training, contact our Outreach & Education team at (858) 505-6332.

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• Online Elder Abuse/Mandated Reporter Training

  For individuals requiring mandated reporter training or professionals seeking information on elder abuse, the California Department of Social Services offers a free online training program. To access the training, visitMandated Reporting - Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse and Neglect in California.

  • Online Training Information

  The training linked below was created in 2023 for San Diego community and senior center staff and volunteers. This powerpoint with embedded video can be used to train mandated reporters as well as older adults.

  Video Training - Elder and Dependent Abuse Mandated Reporting for Senior Centers

  Training Toolkit:

  1. Trainer Instruction Guide
  2. Overview of APS and Mandated Reporting
  3. SOC 341
  4. Mandated Reporting Details Checklist
  5. 12 Ways to Prevent Elder Abuse
  6. Dementia Signs and Symptoms
  7. What APS Reporters Need to Know- National Adult Protective Services Association

  Please note that as of January 2024, the link for the online system to make suspected elder abuse reports ishttps://sandiego.leapsportal.net/LEAPSIntake/NewPublicIntakeReport.aspx.