Adult Protective Services

Wayne County Adult Protective Services (APS) is mandated by N.C. General Statute 108A, Article 6 to receive and evaluate reports that allege:

  • abuse - willful infliction of physical pain, injury, mental anguish, unreasonable confinement, or intentional deprivation by a caretaker of services that are necessary to maintain mental/physical health and/or;
  • neglect - failure of the caregiver or the adult to provide services to support the adult’s physical/ mental health and/or;
  • exploitation - illegal or improper use of the disabled adult or his/her resources for another’s profit or advantage of a disabled adult.

A disabled adult is any person 18 years of age or over or any lawfully emancipated minor who is present in the state of North Carolina and who cannot complete daily activities or handle his/her affairs or protect interests due to intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or autism; organic brain damage caused by advanced age or other physical degeneration due to conditions incurred at any age which are the result of accident, organic consumption or absorption of substances." [G.S.108A-101(d).] A lawfully emancipated minor is a juvenile 16 or older for whom a judicial decree of emancipation has been entered by the district court, or who is or has been married. [G.S. 7A, Article 56] The adult must be alleged to be incapacitated due to a disability to be considered a disabled adult.

Making the Report:

Reports may be made orally or in writing and must include:

  • Name and address of the disabled adult
  • Name and address of the disabled adult’s caretaker (if applicable)
  • Age of the disabled adult
  • Nature and extent of the disabled adult’s injury or condition resulting from abuse, neglect and/or exploitation
  • Any other pertinent information

In accordance with G.S. 108A-101, Wayne County APS considers the following three (3) criteria when screening reports:

  • Is the adult alleged to be disabled?
  • Has the adult been abused, neglected or exploited?
  • Is the adult in need of protective services-has a current need for protective services?

If an Adult Protective Services (APS) report meets the above criteria and is accepted as an evaluation, the APS worker has up to 72 hours to initiate the evaluation (make a face-to-face, unannounced visit to the adult), depending on the urgency of the adult’s situation.

The APS social worker has up to 30 days to complete a thorough evaluation of cases of abuse and neglect and up to 45 days in cases of exploitation. If the APS social worker determines that the adult is disabled, and is being abused, neglected, and/or exploited and is in need of protective services after the thorough evaluation is conducted, the social worker can mobilize services such as home health care, petition for Guardianship, and assist with long term care placement.

During the evaluation, the social worker cannot provide direct services. It is important to note, we uphold the right to self-determination, as long as adults can recognize the consequences of their decisions.

Contact Us:

If you have information that a Wayne County consumer, who is disabled, is being abused, neglected, and/or exploited and has no one willing to advocate for him or her, or cannot advocate for himself or herself, please call 919-580-4034 Monday-Friday. After normal business hours, weekends, or holidays, call 919-705-1212.

If APS criteria are not met, the intake worker will direct you to alternative appropriate community resources.