Elder Abuse

OLDER ADULTS PROTECTIVE SERVICES

The purpose of this service is to assure that Pennsylvanians 60 years of age or older who are unable to protect themselves and who are at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or abandonment have access to services to protect their health, safety, and welfare.

An older adult, or any person who has reasonable cause to believe that an older adult needs Protective Services, may anonymously report this need to the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging. The Agency accepts calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

DAUPHIN COUNTY ELDER ABUSE TASK FORCE

September 7, 2024 was a historic day in Dauphin County. On that date, the Dauphin County Commissioners announced the formation of the Dauphin County Elder Abuse Task Force.

In creating this Task Force, the Commissioners marshaled resources of Dauphin County. The Task Force consists of members from the Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging, the Dauphin County District Attorney, detectives from the Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division, the Dauphin County Office of Victim-Witness Protection, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the United States Postal Inspector’s Office, the Pennsylvania Securities Commission, Chiefs of Police from local municipalities, representatives from the banking community, and interested citizens. This coalition represents and unprecedented cooperative effort at all levels of government.

The Task Force was created and operates at no cost to the taxpayers. Agencies from the state, county, and local level, as well as the private sector, have come together to send a message that Dauphin County cares about its senior citizens.

The Task Force meets regularly to talk about threats to our senior citizens and how we can combat these threats before a senior citizen is harmed or exploited.