Adult Protective Services
The Adult Protective Services Program (APS) provides services to correct and prevent conditions causing dependent or elder adults to be abused, neglected, or exploited. APS is designed to serve elders and dependent adults unable to protect their own interests or to care for themselves. APS services are free of charge without regard to income or property.
Whenever possible, the APS Program seeks to maintain the elder or dependent adult safely in their normal environment by strengthening their capacity for self-maintenance through the direct provision of services or by linking the individual with community-based resources.
Elder means a person who is 60 years of age or older.
Dependent Adult means a person between the ages of 18 and 59 who has physical or mental limitations that restrict their ability to carry out normal activities or to protect their rights including, but not limited to, persons who have physical or developmental disabilities or whose physical or mental abilities have diminished because of age.
Abuse means any treatment resulting in physical harm, pain, or mental suffering or deprivation by a care custodian of goods or services necessary to avoid physical harm or mental suffering.
Neglect means the negligent failure of an elder or dependent adult or of any person having the care or custody of an elder or a dependent adult to exercise that degree of self-care or care that a reasonable person in a like position would exercise.
24 hour Hotline to confidentially report suspected child or adult abuse: 800-340-5411
If you are a mandated reporter, please call the Hotline to make your report as soon as possible, then complete form SOC 341 (linked at the bottom of this page) and FAX to: (760) 924-1721. For a definition of mandated reporter, please see page 8 of form SOC 341, or Welfare & Institutions Code section 15630(a). If you are not a Mandated Reporter, please make your report by calling the Hotline.
Free training for mandated reporters: https://cdss.ca.gov/MandatedReporting/story.html [1]
