The Division of Aging Services Adult Protective Services Call Center is up and running

February 18, 2005

The Department of Human Resources Division of Aging Services Adult Protective Services (APS) has set up a Central Intake Call Center to receive and process all APS referrals from all 159 counties in Georgia.

The Call Center started receiving calls regionally last September and went statewide in October. The Center’s main purpose is to receive and respond to APS hotline calls that involve allegations of abuse, neglect or exploitation of a disabled adult or elderly person (65 and over). There have been 5,101 calls received since the hotline number was rolled out. Of those calls, 2,473 met the APS criteria for abuse, neglect or exploitation and were referred to an APS supervisor to assign an APS Social Services Casemanager to investigate.

“We receive many different types of calls,” said Patricia Lundy, APS Central Intake manager. “Many of the calls are from people seeking resources such as assistance with paying a power bill, housing, transportation, locating a placement for a relative, or mental health care needs. Some calls are complaints about care being provided by staff in a personal care or nursing home. If the call doesn’t fit the APS guidelines for investigation, the Central Intake staff provides other resource and referral information whenever possible. Our goal is to provide assistance to every caller that contacts us. Sometimes just listening to the caller’s concerns is a benefit to them.”

The Adult Protective Services hotline number is 1-888-774-0152 statewide or 404-657-5250 in Metro Atlanta. It is manned Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information, contact:
Edna Jackso
404-657-1386
[email protected]