Adult Protective Services

A vulnerable adult is defined as a person 18 years of age or older who resides in a community setting and who, because of a physical or mental illness, disability or deficiency, lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate, or carry out decisions concerning his or her well-being.

• Abuse: the willful infliction of physical pain, injury, or mental anguish, unreasonable confinement, or the willful deprivation of services which are necessary to maintain a person’s physical and mental health.
• Sexual abuse: any sexual activity where the vulnerable adult does not consent or is incapable of resisting or declining consent due to disability or fear of retributions or hardship.
• Neglect: an act or failure to act by a vulnerable adult’s caretaker which results in the inadequate provision of care necessary to maintain the health of the vulnerable adult, putting him or her at risk of serious or life-threatening injury.
• Self-neglect: the result of a vulnerable adult’s inability, due to physical and/or mental impairments or diminished capacity, to perform essential self-care tasks, putting him or her at risk of serious or life-threatening injury.
• Exploitation: the act of illegally using the person or resources of a vulnerable adult for another person’s profit or advantage.

NJ State Law has deemed health care professionals, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics/emergency medical technicians as mandatory reporters.

Any of these professionals with reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult is the subject of abuse, neglect, or exploitation shall report the information to the county APS provider.