Lorain County marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and details adult protective services staffing, outreach

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners on June 6 proclaimed June 15, 2025, as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day in Lorain County and received a presentation from Adult Protective Services (APS) staff about trends, staffing and how the public can report suspected elder abuse.

Shandell Dusenberry (APS) and Amy Price of Lorain County Children’s Services, who spoke to the proclamation, described APS workload and resources. Dusenberry said APS investigated 526 reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of older adults in 2024 from 1,521 calls that year, and that the agency typically receives far more calls than it can investigate because some reports fall outside APS jurisdiction (for example, concerns about persons under 60 or matters for other agencies such as nursing home ombudsmen or county developmental disability services).

Staffing and funding: Dusenberry said the unit recently expanded from a skeleton crew of two to three workers to five full‑time investigators plus one intake specialist and a supervisor. She said APS is funded through Title XX block grant dollars and noted the county is one of the smaller of Ohio’s larger counties in APS staffing; before receiving additional staff the unit previously had six investigators plus a director. Christopher Kevin, director at Job and Family Services, said the department had posted two social‑worker positions and was pursuing grants to support more preventive outreach.

Scope and urgency: Dusenberry said state figures show elder neglect, abuse and exploitation are increasing; she cited statewide reporting numbers and percentages that indicate rises in neglect, physical abuse and exploitation. She described an increase in cases requiring police involvement and said many current cases are complex. “These elders are suffering in silence,” she said.

How to report and services: Amy Price and Dusenberry told residents to call Lorain County APS intake at (440) 284‑4465 for initial reporting; an online form, fax and email are also available, and APS will make referrals to the appropriate agency (for example, Murray Ridge, nursing home ombudsman or the state) when cases fall outside county APS jurisdiction. Dusenberry said APS is working on outreach and had applied for a state grant to enable staff to make cold calls to at‑risk individuals; at the time of the meeting she said the county had not yet heard whether the grant was approved.

Commissioner context: Commissioners thanked APS staff and acknowledged the challenges of staffing and limited funding; they asked that the public be guided to the correct contact information and supported the staff’s efforts to pursue grants and preventative work.

What was decided: The board read and formally recorded the proclamation declaring June as Responsible Fatherhood Month and June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; APS staff were invited to continue outreach efforts and pursue grant opportunities to expand preventative services.

Sources: Presentation and remarks by Shandell Dusenberry, Amy Price, and Christopher Kevin at the June 6, 2025 Lorain County Board of Commissioners meeting.