Amber Hahn, Assistant Corporation Counsel for St Croix County, provided an overview of the county’s adult protect services. When she took the position in 2022, Amber found that doing guardianships was an important function that she had to investigate and learn in depth. As Amber said, she finds learning new areas exciting, and that makes her eager to share the knowledge.
Two main functions of her position are: 1) to investigate elder and at-risk adult abuse and neglect, and 2) to establish guardianships. Elders 60 and over can be considered at risk, and at-risk adults are individuals 18-59 with a diagnosed mental or physical impairment. Risks can be abuse, neglect, self-harm, or financial exploitation. Self-neglect comprises a high proportion of the work.
One option for intervention is guardianship, where an individual is appointed to take responsibility for someone determined to be unable to provide for themselves. The other option is protective placement, where the seriousness of the individual’s situation requires placement in an appropriate facility where their basic needs can be met.
Amber then shifted gears to focus on how community members can help. She mentioned supporting the services that APS provides, reporting concerns when observed (a confidential process), and learning more about dementia. She urged us to protect ourselves and loved ones through established powers of attorney and estate planning.
She pointed out that APS investigations have risen over recent years, and she also highlighted financial fraud as a particular nefarious and growing area of exploitation of vulnerable people. Amber than conclude by offering the following resources:
St Croix APS 715-246-8255
Pierce County APS 715-273-6780
For people with limited resources, Amber also offered the website gwaar.org, which offers very simple financial and healthcare power of attorney forms.