Senior & Disabilities Services

Adult Protective Services

 

We are here to help you. Our services are voluntary. We will not force you to move or do anything against your own will. We are here to help you live in a safe and healthy environment and receive the services you need. Please contact our office if you need help or have any questions.

Adult Protective Services helps to prevent or stop harm from occurring to vulnerable adults. Alaska law requires that protective services not interfere with the elderly or disabled adults who are capable of caring for themselves.

Vulnerable adults have a physical or mental impairment or condition that prevents them from protecting themselves or from seeking help from someone else.

Alaska law defines vulnerable adults to include adults 18 years of age or older, not just the elderly.

The harm they suffer may result from abandonment, abuse, exploitation, neglect or self-neglect. The following are examples of things to report:

ABANDONMENT is the desertion of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver.

ABUSE is the intentional or reckless non-accidental, non-therapeutic infliction of pain, injury, mental distress, or sexual assault.

EXPLOITATION is the unjust or improper use of another person or their resources for one's own benefit.

NEGLECT is the intentional failure of a caregiver to provide essential services.

SELF-NEGLECT is the act or omission by a vulnerable adult that results, or could result, in the deprivation of essential services necessary to maintain minimal mental, emotional, or physical health and safety.

 

  • See Alaska Statute 47.24.010-.900 (Amended 1994)

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    Examples of Adult Protective Services:

    • Information and Referral
    • Investigation of Reports
    • Protective Placement
    • Guardianship or Conservatorship Counseling
    • Linking Clients to Community Resources
    • Training and designation of local community resources to provide services.

     

     

     

  • How to report about Harm to a Vulnerable Adult

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    For information and an application form about financial assistance for assisted living for adult protective services clients Use this link (General Relief Application)

     

  • Press Release From the Attorney General's Office

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    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 20, 2009

    "Operation False Charity" Law Enforcement Sweep

    (Anchorage, AK) - Acting Attorney General Richard Svobodny, along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other law enforcers in at least 46 states, today announced "Operation False Charity," a nationwide, federal-state crackdown on fraudulent charities and charitable solicitors claiming to help police, firefighters, and veterans.  Federal and state agencies will prosecute 60 law enforcement actions against fundraising companies, nonprofits, and individuals.  The FTC and state agencies also released new education materials to help consumers recognize and avoid charitable solicitation fraud.

    FTC Enforcement Actions

    The FTC cases announced today include actions against defendants who allegedly tricked consumers into giving by claiming they were affiliated with law enforcement or veterans groups or misleading consumers about how much of the money would go to those groups.  According to the FTC, the defendants used legitimate-sounding names to give their sham organizations a veneer of credibility.  Their real goal, however, was to trick consumers into contributing money that the defendants used overwhelmingly to support themselves and their fundraisers.

    Participating States

    State officials participating in the sweep include the Attorneys General of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

    Also participating were other state agencies that register and sometimes regulate charities, including the Secretaries of State of Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Washington, as well as the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.                 

    Consumer Education

    The FTC today issued a consumer alert providing tips about charities that solicit donations on behalf of veterans and military families.  According to the alert, which can be found on the FTC Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/charityfraud/, while many legitimate charities are soliciting donations to support the nation's military veterans, not all "charities" are legitimate.  Some are operators whose only purpose is to make money for themselves.  Others are paid fundraisers whose fees can use up most of the consumer’s donation.

    The new alert, "Supporting the Troops:  When Charities Solicit Donations on Behalf of Vets and Military Families," offers the following tips to help consumers ensure that their donations go to a legitimate charity.  Many of these tips apply to other charitable giving as well.

    • Recognize that the words "veterans" or "military families" in an organization's name do not necessarily mean that veterans or the families of active-duty personnel will benefit from your donation.

     

    • Donate to charities with a track record and a history.  Charities that spring up overnight may disappear just as quickly.
    • If you have any doubt about whether you have made a pledge or a contribution, check your records.  If you do not remember making the donation or pledge, resist the pressure to give.

     

    • Check out an organization before donating. Some phony charities use names, seals and logos that look or sound like those of respected, legitimate organizations.
    • Call the office that regulates charitable organizations in your state to see whether the charity or fundraising organization is required to register in your state.  In Alaska, the information is available at www.law.state.ak.us/consumer.

     

    • Do not send or give cash donations. For security and tax record purposes, it is best to pay by check made payable to the charity.
    • Ask for a receipt showing the amount of your contribution.

     

    • Be wary of promises of guaranteed sweepstakes winnings in exchange for a contribution.  You never have to give a donation to be eligible to win a sweepstakes.

      • Some of the sites where consumers can check out a charity include:

    • www.law.state.ak.us/consumer – for Alaska’s charity registry

     

    For further information, contact: Davyn Williams, Assistant Attorney General, (907) 269-5200.

     

    Brenda Mahlatini, Manager
    3601 C Street, Suite 310
    Anchorage, Alaska 99503-5984
    Phone: (907) 269-3666 or (800) 478-9996
    Fax: (907) 269-3648