Adult protective services (APS) are provided to older people and people with disabilities in danger of being mistreated or neglected, unable to protect themselves, and with no one to assist them. In most states, APS programs respond to the reports people make concerning the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults. These programs exist in all 50 US states but serve different age groups and provide different types of services. Each APS social worker walks a line between a commitment to the safety and well‐being of the client and a commitment to the client's liberty. Created by state statutes and regulations, APS were included in the Elder Justice Act (2010). Though unfunded, the potential exists to bring APS under the aegis of a federal umbrella and to provide more secure funding and uniformity of practice.

The phenomenon of elder abuse has existed throughout history but continues as a largely hidden and little‐understood problem that occurs in both community and facility settings. Elder abuse has been recognized as a failure of the family structure, an inadequacy of caregiving institutions, and a medical problem, social work concern, public health dilemma, criminal justice conundrum, and public policy issue. More older women than older men experience abuse and neglect, which is most often perpetrated by family members with whom the elder has a trust relationship. Elder abuse and neglect of family members can have a profound impact on the overall health and quality of life of its victims.