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Dominique urges public to report elder abuse as local referrals rise
Summary
Dominique, administrator for Adult Protective Services at Mahoning County Job and Family Services, told commissioners that referrals to the county's Adult Protective Services rose to 937 last year and urged residents to report suspected elder abuse during World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and Elder Abuse Awareness Month.
Dominique, administrator for Adult Protective Services at Mahoning County Job and Family Services, told the Board of County Commissioners on June 11 that elder-abuse reporting has increased locally and that community members can report concerns anonymously to Adult Protective Services.
Dominique said Mahoning County recorded 937 referrals to Adult Protective Services last year, up from a little over 600 in 2023, and emphasized that many cases go unreported. "There's actually only one out of five adult protective services cases that are actually reported," Dominique said, and she noted national figures as context: "There's over 36,000 cases in Ohio that are reported to adult protective services annually" and "1.5 million cases were reported to the United States last year." She urged people who notice signs such as bruising, social withdrawal or financial exploitation to contact APS so staff can wrap services around vulnerable adults.
The presentation explained who can make reports and what happens after a referral. Dominique said anyone — neighbors, church members or friends — can report concerns and that reports may be made anonymously; APS will respond and attempt to coordinate services. She added that Mahoning County has six APS workers and that surrounding counties sometimes have fewer.
Commissioners and several agency representatives praised the JFS and APS teams for coordinated work across the probate court, mental health boards and other partners. A commissioner said the county is fortunate to have strong interagency cooperation protecting older residents: "We work closely with them — they protect our seniors," the commissioner said.
The presentation came during a meeting held at Ford Nature Center; commissioners and staff encouraged public awareness leading up to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 and throughout Elder Abuse Awareness Month. The county also reminded residents that reporting options are available and that APS maintains confidentiality when possible.
