New law aims to protect vulnerable adults

JACKSON — A new state bill signed into law requires law enforcement to notify the Wyoming Department of Family Services if they receive a report of a vulnerable adult.

The law, House Enrolled Act 6, states that if law enforcement receives a report that a vulnerable adult is “suspected of being or has been abused, neglected, exploited, intimidated or abandoned, or is committing self neglect, law enforcement shall notify the department concerning the potential need of the vulnerable adult for protective services.”

Gov. Mark Gordon signed the bill into law March 4. While the law is scheduled to take effect July 1, Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr said that this was already in practice.

“We work pretty closely with DFS here in Teton County, and the law is catching up a bit with what we have as current practice,” Carr said.

Jane Carlson is the program analyst for the Department of Family Services’ adult protective services program.

A vulnerable adult — someone who is neglected, exploited, intimidated or abused — can take many forms, Carlson said.

Signs that law enforcement looks out for are whether the adult is missing key items they might need, like a lift chair to help navigate stairs, or eyeglasses, a walker, even medications.

Vulnerable adults might have dirty clothing, signifying self-neglect, or have bruises or cuts on their skin. Someone wearing inappropriate clothing for the season is another red flag, Carlson said.

Vulnerable adults may not answer questions for themselves, instead allowing a caregiver to answer. An indicator that potential financial exploitation is occurring is if the adult doesn’t know what his or her finances are.

Once the Department of Family Services receives a report, it will extend opportunities to connect that person with supportive resources, Carlson said, such as home-delivered meals, caregiver services, or assistance enrolling in Medicaid or Social Security.

In 2019, the department received over 2,048 reports of vulnerable adults in Wyoming. During the pandemic, that dipped, but it’s back on the rise. In 2023, DFS received 2,306 reports of vulnerable adults.

However, it’s not only up to law enforcement to report these signs. Many reports stem from senior centers, Carlson said, but Wyoming law mandates that everyone must report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult if they have reasonable cause to believe that it may be occurring.

Reports can be made to law enforcement or to the Department of Family Services, through its local office or via phone.

“What we really, really need is the adult’s name, their location and physical address,” Carlson said.

If an elderly neighbor is exhibiting any of these signs, for example, Carlson urged the community to report it. The identity of the reporting party will remain confidential, she said.

Carlson said she’s not surprised to hear that Teton County is already taking these actions.

“Teton County is really great,” Carlson said. “I’ve attended their adult protective services team meetings, and they do have a great team atmosphere going and they do work well with their law enforcement.”

Carlson predicts an increase in reports of vulnerable adults from law enforcement, something she sees as a measure of success.

She hopes to also see other counties across the state improve communication between the department and law enforcement.

“There were just a lot of [officers] that didn’t maybe understand that this person that they came into contact with was a ‘vulnerable adult’ and might benefit from some services.”

This story was published on March 18, 2024.