TO REPORT ELDER ABUSE: If you believe that a Noble County adult age 60 or over has been abused, neglected, or financially exploited, please contact Noble County Job and Family Services. Reports can be made by phone at 740-732-2392 (Monday-Thursday 6 A.M. – 4 P.M.) For emergency reporting after business hours, weekends, or on holidays, please contact the Noble County Sheriff’s Office at 740-732-5631 and ask for the on-call social worker.

Adult Protective Services (APS) serves Noble County residents age 60 and older who may be victims of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation. APS does not have jurisdiction in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Ohio established the Adult Protective Services Law (Ohio Revised Code 5101.6-5101.71) in 1981. This legislation enables a Noble County Job and Family Services social worker to investigate reports of elder abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation and try to correct those situations.

The core principles of the law include:

• The adult has the right to determine how he or she lives.
• It is best to use the “least restrictive alternative” when developing solutions.
• If appropriate, family members will be involved in problem solving.
• Community based services will be provided, if possible, rather than institutionalization.
• Placing blame is not the purpose.
• Intervention is tailored to the needs of the adult and his or her family.
• Inadequate or inappropriate intervention may be worse than none at all.

Eligibility Requirements

The law applies to persons age 60 years and older who are handicapped by the infirmities of age or are mentally or physically impaired so that they are unable to provide for their own care or protection. Those persons must live within the community; for example, a private home, trailer, shelter/homeless, or rooming house. Suspected abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of elderly persons residing in a nursing home or facility licensed by the State of Ohio are protected by another law and agency and should call the Ombudsman at 800-282-1206 for assistance.

APS Frequently Asked Questions

Q: WHO SHOULD REPORT?

Anyone who has suspicions that an elderly person, age 60 and older, is being physically or sexually abused, neglected or financially exploited.

Q: HOW DO I MAKE A REPORT?

You can call the Noble County Department of Job and Family Services Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 740-732-2392 or the Noble County Sheriff’s Department at 740-732-5631 for reports after 4 p.m., on weekends or holidays. There is an on-call worker who will receive these reports.

Q: WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I MAKE A REPORT?

APS must investigate reports involving substantial risk of immediate physical harm within 24 hours and other reports within 3 working days. The APS worker usually makes an initial unannounced face to face visit with the alleged victim and consults with the reporter when feasible.

Q: ARE REPORTS ANONYMOUS?

APS will not share who made the report, unless the reporter is comfortable with sharing the information.

Q: WHAT IS CONSIDERED ABUSE?

Abuse is the infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or cruel punishment with resulting physical harm, pain or mental anguish. Abuse can be inflicted upon oneself or others.

Q: WHAT ARE SIGNS OF ABUSE?

Signs of abuse can include:

• Bruises, black eyes, welts, lacerations and rope marks
• Open wounds, cuts, punctures, untreated injuries in various states of healing
• Sudden changes in behavior – Elder being extremely withdrawn and non-communicative or non-responsive.
• The elder’s report of being hit, slapped, kicked, sexually assaulted or mistreated.

Q: WHAT IS CONSIDERED NEGLECT?

Neglect is failure of an adult to provide to himself or to another adult, goods or services necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness.

Q: WHAT ARE SIGNS OF NEGLECT?

• Signs of neglect can include:
• Hazardous or unsafe living conditions (improper wiring, no heat or running water, pathway obstructions in the home)
• Unsanitary and unclean living conditions
• Unattended or untreated health problems
• Dehydration and/or malnutrition
• Deprivation of food
• Poor personal hygiene
• Over-medicated/under-medicated

Q: WHAT IS CONSIDERED FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION?

Financial exploitation occurs when a person misuses or takes the assets of an elderly person for his/her own personal benefit.

Q: WHAT ARE SIGNS OF FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION?

Signs of financial exploitation can include:

• Sudden appearance of previously uninvolved relatives claiming their rights to an elder’s affairs and possessions
• Unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family
• Unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions
• Discovery of an elder’s signature being forged for financial transactions or for the titles of his/her possessions.
• Sudden changes in bank account or banking practice, including unexplained withdrawals of large sums of money by a person accompanying the elder
• Theft
• Work by unlicensed contractors/overcharging
• Credit card fraud.
• Telemarketing, sweepstakes and e-mail scam
• Real property transfers -Investment fraud
• Home improvement scams/burglaries
• Abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents