NEWS

AARP: Increase funding for adult protective services

Liv Osby
losby@gannett.com
SC AARP Director Teresa Arnold

The number of vulnerable adults getting services from the state Department of Social Services ballooned 63 percent between 2011 and 2015 while funding for the program remained stagnant, a new report reveals.

The number of abused, neglected or exploited clients in the Adult Protective Services program grew from 2,931 to 4,778 during that time frame, according to the report from the South Carolina AARP.

So the group is asking the Legislature to increase APS funding to the 2001 level of $7.5 million, said director Teresa Arnold.

“The budget was cut over the years and never restored,” she said. “This is the first line of defense for people reported to be abused or neglected by family members or self-neglected in their home. Are we doing what we need to do to help these people at the most vulnerable level?”

While many people in the program have been physically abused, neglected and financially exploited by their families or caregivers, Arnold said, self-neglect is the main reason they end up in the system. These people need help in activities of daily living, such as feeding and bathing themselves.

One client, for example, was found sitting in hardened feces, she said.

In fiscal 2001, $7.5 million was allocated to the program, according to the report. But in fiscal 2015, just $3.2 million was allocated. As a result, the number of full-time equivalent employees dropped from 133 to 88.

The report listed inadequate funding as a major barrier to providing services. It also included a survey of caseworkers which revealed that about eight in 10 need training in assessment of mental health, psychological abuse, self-neglect, sexual battery and physical abuse.

They also said interagency coordination of services is poor and that coordination efforts are nominal and ineffective.

“They can’t do their jobs when they have so few resources,” Arnold said. “The bottom line is these caseworkers don’t have the help they need.”

Moreover, she said, patients who could remain at home with a little help wind up in nursing homes paid for by Medicaid, a much costlier option.

“We are cutting the system over here but have no idea we’re forcing more expensive consequences down the road,” she said. “Let’s put the money on the front end and potentially save money in the long run. It’s not just the right thing to do, but the smartest way to spend our state dollars.”

Recommendations in the report include additional training, improving interagency service coordination and technology to streamline administrative duties, exploring solutions for placement options, and determining appropriate staffing levels relative to caseloads.

In a statement, DSS said that Director Susan Alford created the Adult Advocacy Division to continue to improve services to vulnerable adults and ensure the department and public remain focused on their needs, and that it has renewed its focus on creating and enhancing partnerships with organizations like AARP to identify and administer services to this growing population. DSS added that it appreciated the opportunity to work with AARP on the study and looks forward to future collaboration.

To read the full report, go to http://states.aarp.org/scapsreport/