The Administration on Aging announced on October 13, 2011 that it will award nearly $200,000 to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) to establish a new National Adult Protective Services Resource Center to serve as a knowledge base for the fight against elder abuse.

Adult protective services are the boots on the ground in the fight against elder abuse,” said AoA Assistant Secretary Kathy Greenlee. “The resource center will support these first responders with the best information, research, and evidence-based practices available.”

States and localities are principally responsible for protecting seniors and vulnerable adults from abuse and providing victims with protective services and treatment. They commonly do so through Adult protective services (APS) agencies. 

The federally funded APS Resource Center will help state and local adult protective services systems, agencies and staff across the nation respond more quickly and intervene more effectively in cases of adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The center will identify evidence-based practices for APS programs and interventions, compile research relevant to APS programming, and provide technical assistance to state and local APS programs.

“NAPSA is thrilled for this opportunity to create a vibrant, national center of learning and information exchange to help build the capacity of adult protective services to respond to escalating reports of elder and vulnerable adult abuse,” said Kathleen Quinn, executive director of NAPSA.

Recent reports from APS programs across the country indicate that there are significant unmet needs with regard to APS investigation and response, training for APS staff, and developing best practices for interventions and program operations. The Administration on Aging is establishing the National Adult Protective Services Resource Center to address this gap, and to enhance the quality, consistency and effectiveness of APS programs across the country. The ultimate goal of the resource center is to minimize the harm experienced by victims.

About Adult Protective Services (APS):
Adult Protective Services are provided to insure the safety and well-being of elders and adults with disabilities who have been or are at risk of being mistreated or neglected, who are unable to care for themselves or protect themselves from harm, and who have no one to assist them. Elder abuse can be physical, sexual, financial, emotional or psychological, involve neglect or abandonment and can include self-neglect.

For more information about the National Adult Protective Services Resource Center, see: http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Grants/Funding/docs/2011/FY_2011_PA_APS_FINAL.pdf 

For more information about elder abuse, visit the National Center on Elder Abuse: http://ncea.aoa.gov/ncearoot/Main_Site/index.aspx

For more information about the grantee, see: http://www.napsa.org