What's the worst thing about adult protective services?

I wrote recently on another post, which I don't remember now, of my limited but extremely negative experience with them. Some of my family members reported the self appointed family member who was the caregiver. Photos were taken, incidents documented; fraud had occurred. Close relatives were being denied contact with their loved one.

The caregiver in question was manipulative, dishonest, and emotionally unstable. That had also been documented through outside sources.

APS "investigated", spoke ONLY with the so-called "hospice" company and possibly the caregiver, but ignored the photos, and said they felt the caregiver was going a good job. Besides, added the so-called caseworker, this person "was a few weeks away from death anyway."

To say that we were livid as well as disappointed and fearful is an understatement. The loved one in question was literally a prisoner in her own home. But APS felt she was dying anyway and the "caregiver" was doing a good job.

To honestly express our anger, disappointment and contempt for APS would likely involved a choice of words that aren't consistent with use on a public forum.

I've also contacted them trying to find assistance for specific issues which I can't recall now (I think I was looking for outside help for major cleanups, something like that perhaps) and got no suggestions. It wasn't even an issue they would consider.) That was the second contact with them. And it's the last.

APS can be manipulated, as I also saw when SW who I refused to allow contact hinted about involving them.

Why wouldn't you want them involved? Although I don't specifically recall your situation, my answer would be that I think it's unlikely they would be of any help anyway. If you're already involved in guardianship proceedings and have a good attorney, that's a better option than involving an agency with a mandate which might not contribute anything at all. Again, I don't recall your specific situation, so my comments are qualified.

And from what I've read here, there are instances in which a caregiver is blamed, because he/s he seems to be an easier target than hostile, complaining and vengeful family members. Sometimes it's the "squeaky wheel" that gets the attention.

BTW, the incident of which I wrote occurred in Michigan.

I have had only brief exposure to APS. They are unprofessional, do not honor confidentiality and easily duped. Like most other state agencies in Texas, they are usually understaffed & over worked. They not only give details regarding the person that reported, but they also give advance notice as to when they are coming by for a visit. I guess they are used to seeing really horrible conditions, etc because anything impresses them or are they just overlooking the dog poop in the middle of the floor?

Thank you. In all my dealings I have only had one person suggest APS as a good source. Most professionals either never mention it or have something negative to say.

It's sad, isn't it? A state agency in place to help our weak & vulnerable and it is just a joke.

Mom was living in a senior non-assisted living apartment complex with meals and transportation provided. Her neighbors were giving her drugs to help her "terrible headaches" (that she's had checked out- with no diagnosis and no medication that will cure them). They also took her to the doctor for narcotics (completely unknown to me!) She started taking the meds and really went "loopy" and I couldn't figure out why. She told everyone in the building that I "threw her on the floor and stole her meds." WOW! I knew nothing about it.
Someone alerted APS and they came to see her. Immediately it was clear she had dementia. There were no broken bones, no bruises and her meds were sitting right on the coffee table. Her case was dismissed BUT NO ONE FROM THE APS OFFICE EVEN NOTIFIED ME! I'm her only child and POA.
I got wind of it through the building manager and I called APS. They said that the case was resolved and they don't have enough time to call family members to follow up!!!
Incredible!! If she was that confused, why didn't they contact me to place her in a memory care facility (which is what I did a month later.)
I really can't say much a nothin' good 'bout 'em.

I appreciate reading this. I had been tempted to call them for my grandparents, but was talked out of it by my mother. Grandma died of a stroke a week later, and I always felt like garbage not calling them. It helps to know they could really make things worse. It's sad that an organization that is created to help people can cause so much harm. 

I do not know what APS can do.....has anyone had positive responses are actions?  The point is the patient is the number one concern...they should be getting the proper medical treatment and care.

Exactly what does APS do when they come in...do they notify you prior to coming or do they just show up?  And exactly what evidence do they gather...who do they speak to and how do they render a decision?   When and how are you notified of the decision?   What happens to the individual at the center of the investigation? Where do you go from there? 

I worked for a Visiting Nurse Assoc. We had a husband and wife the nurses cared for. They lived in a trailer. They had two hospital beds in one bedroom. Nurses had a hard time getting a wheelchair down the hall and in and out of the bedroom. Phone was just out of reach so husband usually dropped it. The place was dirty. APS came in and saw no problem even aft my boss said they wouldn't be able to get out if there was a fire. Children didn't seem to care. The couple was in their 80s.

I appreciate all of these replies and have only still had one PERSON recommend APS. They had good experience with APS in their county. When I called APS just to listen to their hotline, it was clear it was only for emergencies. My decision is that they are not needed in my case, and not the best option.

I have known APS to get involved in cases before and things worked out well. It just depends on who you get. 

I called APS a few days ago. My brother is manipulating my Mom with dementia and my Father with Alzheimer's. They are in Assisted Living memory care. My brother took them out for the day and had them change their POA to him. When I reported it to APS, they went to see Mom and Dad, talked to them for 15 minutes and determined they were fully capable. When I talked to my Mom the next day ,she couldn't remember going anywhere with him. APS was no help at all to protect them from this financial exploitation.

Because they are liars.

Their agents are out to make a name for themselves and get into the papers via ANY means. One case in Colorado, then agent got a judge to sign off on the lies because of her long standing "professional" relationship. She used that postito. to promote herself and tear a family apart.

On no...in my own experience....without the family lawyer involved, I would have been totally screwed by them.

Liars

I need to get ready to go to work, if I didn't I would write about my very good experience with APS. I had been reported to APS by my twisted sibs for financial exploitation which did not occur. More later.

In my opinion APS is useless. They don't investigate properly and it is easier for them to do nothing and close the case stating the elders in question are fine. They are overworked and undermanned and without good training. You can call them to get your concern "on record" but I would not expect anything from them.

APS is overworked and overwhelmed. When I was investigated, after a few relatively short conversations with my stepdad and mom, I did not hear again from them for a couple of months and it made me nervous. When they finally returned to the house I was told that they loved cases like this, it was obvious nothing was going on either financially or emotionally. They have so many cases that are real and very, very sad they have to give them priority. So, those of us that really do not need their help or their investigation are left wondering. Why was it so easy? Because I was completely open with them, did not try to hide anything, invited them into our home. And I received very high recommendations and support from neighbors and other caregivers, doctors, and the day program.

If you need a recommendation and support from someone, hire a geriatric care manager to come in and assess the home conditions and the care received. You need someone that has had no interaction with you for APS to speak with especially in a contested guardianship situation.

Always remember, unless the parent is incompetent, they have the right to do what they wish with their resources, and live the way they want. And the judge will take a great deal of value in that. If they do not want to do as you want, and do a good job of expressing it, the guardianship will not be granted. Also, your reputation and criminal record (I am not saying at all that there is one) will be of primary importance. If there is anything shady in your background, the guardianship will not be granted.

In my state, each county has its own APS. When Mom was alive, she and I lived in neighboring counties. On Mom’s county’s website RE aging issues/assistance, there is one paragraph that describes their APS. This agency is geared primarily toward separating elderly from an abusive caregiver. All good. Then one oblique statement regarding elderly self-neglect, which they pursue as a failing of the adult child(ren). From that point on, there was no way in h*ll that I’d contact APS for help with my intractable mother. And spent the next few years sh*t-scared that a well-meaning neighbor would contact APS on my mother’s behalf. As if I didn’t have enough else to worry about. 😟

I had APS called on me with an unhappy caregiver who I kicked out of my house for being unreasonable with my grandma. She had repeatedly pulled on her arm when trying to get her out of the chair. I spoke to her about it day one. Wrote it in grandma's helpful hints paper to remind her day 2 then mentioned it again day 3. Grandma kept complaining her arm hurt and this was the opposite arm she leans on. So when I finally kicked out the caregiver for the day so she wouldn't get paid to yank my grandma around during my break, she called APS on us claiming we had a dirty house and were mistreating grandma by refusing her much needed care. They have come multiple times with caregivers because the only company available gets a client and when the client refuses care, they do not get paid.

Now in our situation, them coming in, chattering away with me and dad and also meeting Rachel and her kids, knowing Rachel and her kids due to Rachel working with her in the past and seeing grandma well cared for, properly dressed and powdered, eating her soup happily and that her walk ways were clear, she saw no reason for the compliant so left. She asked me about doctor visits, medications, and what the agency was giving for hours of care. The questions took only seconds and probably showed her nothing to be honest. She asked me about how often her care agency filled their hours and talked to grandma for a split second about how she felt today. Grandma assuming she was a doctor said her head hurt but the lady saw I had placed her medicine in front of her to take after her soup which contained a Tylenol. Now if there was a problem, would she have seen it? I'm not sure. She only came for a few minutes and mostly chattered with people not really checking on anything. I'm in the process of building on my house and was at that time building a ramp that would help my grandma to enter the house more safer. To do so we had a new room built on to connect to the ramp and it made me move things all around to accommodate that. We also had another room put on to make a set of stairs and foyer to enter the house with. So yea the house was messy. No it did not affect my grandma as her area is always and will always be clean and tidy and easy for her to move around in but the dirty house comment might have been upholded had it been for someone who walked around my house and saw furniture, boxes and other things still in areas where I have unpacked but not all of it from my earlier move this year.

Mostly I have found APS not focused on the tasks at hand, overly friendly with their chatting but never really on topic and a quick in and out visit handles it all. Most things in Maine are like that though. We have moved from CT where a visit from APS would have been a nightmare, where physical therapists came to the house every day for 6 weeks and literally worked with grandma keeping her on her feet and healthy whereas here they come visit, chatter with the people in the house, lift her feet twice and put them down, declare her incompetent to do the exercises due to dementia and leave. So I don't find them or anyone else very helpful in Maine

For me it was a waste of time. Common sense has gone completely out the window. My dad was sent to the ER for fractured ribs. When I saw him, he had a black eye, like someone punched him, a severe UTI and one heck of a yeast infection. Common sense tells you that this is clearly abuse and neglect occurring in the NH. ER filed a report as well as I did. It took the investigator 14 days to investigate the facility. My dad is on his 19th day in hospital because the previous home tells the homes inquiring about him, that he is a problem patient. APS found no evidence of abuse or neglect. The NH lied out their kazoos and investigator allowed it and is allowing others in that home to be neglected and abused.

Black eye, fractured ribs? Not obvious neglect or abuse. Ribs could happen easily with a fall as could the black eye. Black eye? My stepdad blackened his eye just by rubbing it wrong! Blood thinners are great for that.