Learn about senior financial
abuse on page 50.

Adult Protective Services

Adult Protective Services restores the dignity and safety of adults with disabilities ages 18 to 59, and seniors over the age of 60 who find themselves victims of abuse, neglect, self-neglect or financial exploitation and may have few resources to change their situation and protect themselves.

Abuse takes many forms, and in most cases victims are subjected to more than one type of abuse, neglect or exploitation. In 2017, the State of Illinois reported 16,507 cases of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. The majority of reports were for Financial Exploitation (8,604); followed by Emotional Abuse (6,476); Passive Neglect (6,679); Physical Abuse (3,782); Willful Deprivation (2,268); Confinement (1,381); and Sexual Abuse (765). Most abusers are family members: 74% were either a spouse, adult child or other relative. 

We provide Adult Protective Services to residents of the 14 communities that make up Maine, New Trier and Northfield townships in the northern suburbs of Chicago. We investigate around 200 cases annually, with financial exploitation being the most frequent offense. All Adult Protective Services are confidential and free of charge.

For more information about protective services for seniors and adults with disabilities, call North Shore Senior Center at 847.784.6000 or the State of Illinois Adult Protective Services Hotline at 866.800.1409. All reports are handled with strict confidentiality.

Funds (in whole/part) for this publication were provided through an award from AgeOptions through funding from the VAC5 Expanding Access to COVID-19 Vaccines grant.