Your Local Area Agency on Aging: Protective Services
| Living as an Older Adult in PA
This article is part of an ongoing series for older adults in Pennsylvania, designed to help older adults and caregivers access and understand the many resources, support services, and community connections your local Area Agency on Aging can provide.
To find your local AAA, visit: https://p4a.org/aaas/.
Brian's father, having been financially drained by the caregiver entrusted with his wellbeing, was discovered emaciated. Brian was devastated.
When Mary Kay learned her own sister had been stealing from their elderly mother, she didn't know where to turn or how to get justice.
For both families, help came from their local Area Agency on Aging protective services team.
A Core, Mandated Responsibility
Pennsylvania's 52 Area Agencies on Aging identify, investigate, and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and abandonment of adults age 60 and older across the Commonwealth.
Every older Pennsylvanian deserves to be safe, and no family should have to navigate a crisis like this alone. Protective services caseworkers are trained professionals, available around the clock, who put themselves in difficult situations most people never encounter, because the older adults they serve need someone in their corner.
This work is growing. Reports of need continue to rise each year with funding for AAAs not matching pace.
When Trust Is Broken
Elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation are shockingly common. Victims are often isolated, ashamed, or unaware that what is happening to them is wrong. Perpetrators are frequently people the older adult knows and trusts: a hired caregiver, a family member, or a neighbor.
Brian's Story: A Friend's Tip, A Life Changed
Brian had no reason to worry. His father had a caregiver. Someone was there. But in May 2023, a concerned friend noticed something was deeply wrong and reached out to Jefferson County AAA.
What investigators found was alarming. Brian's father had been physically neglected while his finances were quietly being drained by the very person hired to care for him.
Jefferson County AAA responded immediately. Working alongside law enforcement and the legal system, the protective services team helped bring the perpetrator to justice and ensured Brian's father received the care and protection he deserved.
Brian hadn't known help like this existed. He hadn't known someone was watching out for his dad. That's what this system is designed to do.
Mary Kay's Story: Support Through Every Step
For Mary Kay of Punxsutawney, the situation was complicated by the fact that her sister had been stealing from her mom.
Mary Kay turned to Jefferson County AAA's protective services team. From the initial investigation to working alongside prosecutors, the team helped the family navigate a process that can feel overwhelming, especially when the circumstances are personal. Mary Kay's mother had an advocate at every step.
What Protective Services Can Do
AAA protective services programs are equipped to respond to a wide range of situations, including:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse by caregivers, family members, or others
- Financial exploitation, including theft, fraud, or misuse of an older adult's assets
- Self-neglect, when an older adult is unable to meet their own basic needs
- Caregiver neglect, when a person responsible for an older adult's care fails to provide it
When a report is made, protective services caseworkers conduct an assessment, coordinate with law enforcement and legal partners when necessary, and connect older adults and families with services that support safety, recovery, and long-term well-being. Critically, access to help isn't held up by paperwork or administrative delays — caseworkers assess and respond from the moment they arrive.
Reports can be made by anyone: a neighbor, a friend, a family member, or a concerned community member. You don't need proof. You just need to make the call.
Prevention: The Best Protective Services Call Is the One That Never Has to Be Made
Abuse and neglect flourish in isolation. That's why AAAs invest heavily in preventive measures, congregate meals, caregiver support, in-home visits, transportation, and more services that keep older adults connected, supported, and visible. Research consistently shows strong preventive programming directly correlates with a decrease in protective services reports. When older adults are engaged with their communities, they are safer.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
If you suspect an older adult in your life is experiencing abuse, neglect, or exploitation, reach out to your local Area Agency on Aging. Protective services caseworkers are trained, compassionate, and ready to act.
Visit https://p4a.org/aaas/ to find your local Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging for more information.