Protecting Colorado’s At-Risk Adults

The Colorado Adult Protective Services (APS) Program is a state program that can intervene on behalf of at-risk adults “to correct or alleviate situations in which actual or imminent danger of abuse, caretaker neglect, or exploitation (termed ‘mistreatment’), or self-neglect exist.” Adults age 18 and over are considered “at-risk” if they are unable to care for themselves or make decisions — generally due to developmental disability, mental illness, advanced age, Alzheimer’s/dementia, or a brain injury — and are therefore vulnerable to mistreatment or neglect. APS’s annual report provides data on Colorado’s at-risk adults and what the state is doing to protect them. Additional publications available from our library include:

• Colorado’s Adult Protective Services System
• Crimes Against At-Risk Juveniles and Adults
• Multi-Disciplinary Team Guide for Adult Protective Services
• Protecting At-Risk Adults
• Protocol for Addressing the Mistreatment of At-Risk Adults with Developmental Disabilities
• Why Should I Care About Abuse of At-Risk Adults?

Further resources can be found in our library’s Quick Guide for Seniors and Caregivers and the Colorado APS website. If you see or suspect that an at-risk adult is suffering abuse or neglect, see these instructions from the Colorado Department of Human Services for how to report the situation.