Adult Protection

Who Are At-Risk Adults?

An at-risk adult is anyone age 18 or older who is unable to meet their own basic needs or arrange services to meet their basic needs without assistance due to a physical or mental condition. When appropriate, APS can assist the at-risk adult to arrange for services. 

All reports made to APS are confidential, including the name of the reporting party.

• Colorado law protects people from liability if they make a report in good faith.
• When reporting to APS, contact the county where the at-risk adult resides.
• If you feel that someone is in immediate danger, please call 911 prior to calling APS.
• Colorado law requires mandatory reporters to contact law enforcement when they observe or become aware of crimes committed against adults age 70 years and older or adults age 18 and older who have an intellectual or developmental disability.

Abuse

Occurs when someone inflicts non-accidental bodily injury or pain to an at-risk adult; or when unreasonable confinement or restraint is imposed on the at-risk adult.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual conduct, activity or touching without the adult’s consent or understanding. It includes unlawful sexual behavior as defined in Section 16-22-102(9), C.R.S.

Caretaker Neglect

Neglect that occurs when adequate food, clothing, shelter, psychological care, physical care, medical care or supervision is not secured for an at-risk adult or is not provided by a caretaker in a timely manner and with the degree of care that a reasonable person in the same situation would exercise.

Exploitation

Taking an at-risk adult’s money or anything of value against their will or without their knowledge or deceiving, harassing, intimidating or using undue influence to get the adult to do something against their will.

Self-Neglect

An act or failure to act whereby an at-risk adult substantially endangers their health, safety, welfare or life by not seeking or obtaining services necessary to meet their essential human needs. Choice of lifestyle, by itself, is not proof of self-neglect.

Harmful Act

An act committed against an at-risk adult by a person with a relationship to the at-risk adult when such act is not defined as abuse, caretaker neglect or exploitation but causes harm to the health, safety or welfare of an at-risk adult.

Each year millions of at-risk adults are abused, neglected, and exploited. Colorado wants to ensure that law enforcement is made aware of these crimes against persons age 70 and older and those 18 and older with an intellectual developmental disability. 

Mandatory Reporting requires many professional groups to report abuse, neglect, and exploitation to law enforcement when they observe or become aware of the mistreatment. The new law also has legal penalties for mandatory reporters if they fail to report mistreatment.

The Colorado Department of Human Services, Adult Protective Services (Colorado APS) unit has made available an on-line training program for mandatory reporters and other members of the community. This training will take approximately 30 - 40 minutes to complete and persons completing the course will be able to print out their results if they would like to have a record that they completed the course.

State of Colorado's Adult Protective Services

Colorado Adult Protection Mandated Reporter Online Training

This training was provided by Colorado Adult Protective Services, for any questions or concerns, please email: CDHSAPS.questions@state.co.us

When an allegation of mistreatment is found to be substantiated, the perpetrator’s name and information is registered in the Colorado Adult Protective Services (CAPS) system. APS is required to notify perpetrators of the substantiation. Perpetrators have a right to request a state-level appeal. Certain employers are required by statute to complete a CAPS check prior to hiring a new employee or volunteer who will provide direct care to an at-risk adult. The employers may also request a CAPS check for existing employees or volunteers. The CAPS check will alert the employer if a prospective or current staff member has a substantiated finding as a perpetrator of mistreatment.

Vision

A community of safe and stable families and individuals where the basic needs of all are met with respect and dignity.

Mission

The purpose of Weld County Adult Protective Services is to support and protect at-risk adults from self-neglect or mistreatment by investigating allegations, advocating for clients and when needed, arranging for services to stop or prevent harm by using the least restrictive intervention and respecting self-determination.

Confidentiality.

Colorado statute requires that all reports to APS and all subsequent case information remain confidential. Disclosure is permitted only under certain circumstances, for good cause, and is limited.

Self-Determination & Consent.

Means the right to decide for one’s self; the ability or right to make one's own decisions without interference from others. This means the adult has the right to refuse services.

Least-Restrictive Intervention.

These are services implemented for the shortest duration and to the minimum extent necessary to meet the needs of the at-risk adult.

APS provides community education regarding the APS program, including the process of reporting to APS, the mistreatment of at-risk adults, APS laws and rules, and protective services.