Elder/Vulnerable Abuse Task Force

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The Elder/Vulnerable Adult Task Force is a collaborative effort among the multiple County and State agencies that bear various levels of responsibility for protecting elderly and vulnerable adults in Montgomery County. The Task Force was created in 2008 to combine the various efforts of these agencies in order to enhance this protection. The six agencies that comprised the task Force worked closely together to first identify instances of abuse and then to coordinate enforcement efforts with social and medical services whenever appropriate. This corporation not only utilizes the necessary resources more effectively, but also allows many aspects of the investigation to proceed simultaneously so that the most vulnerable of the County’s citizens can be removed more quickly from harmful situations. The Task Force has worked together to investigate cases of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect, and sexual and financial exploitation that take place in day care facilities, private family homes, residential group homes, and nursing homes. Combining each agency’s resources, personnel, expertise, and specific enforcement powers has allowed more violators to be held accountable and more elderly and vulnerable adults to receive the services they deserve and the protection they need to survive.