Twitter
Adult Protective Services (APS) workers and their supervisors are often overburdened with large caseloads and have few tools to help manage them. Too often, APS agencies use outdated, inefficient information systems that do little to assist workers in processing their cases, fail to provide easy access to critical case information, have few reports to facilitate management of an APS agency, and lack integration with information systems used by other programs through which an elderly person might receive services. This impedes the efforts of APS workers to ensure safety and prevent the further mistreatment of vulnerable adults, setting the stage for catastrophe.
The prevalence of inefficient APS systems in human services organizations has been exacerbated by recent budget cuts. A recent survey conducted by the National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA, 2009) reported that nearly 60% of State Units on Aging will experience budget reductions for FY09 and FY10. States are trying to mitigate the impact on direct service where possible by cutting administrative, travel, and training costs as well as implementing hiring freezes, furloughs, and layoffs.
Adult Protective Services is frequently cited as an area of particular concern. In an environment of budget reductions, 58% of states report increasing demand for APS services (NASUA, 2009). Public policy watchdog groups, such as the California Progress Report, predict news reports of catastrophes involving elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. APS agencies have little choice but to find creative ways to serve more consumers with fewer resources. Consequently, the utilization of technology to mitigate the impact of budget problems is a high priority for many states (NASUA, 2009).
Streamlined Efficiency and Integrated Best Practices
Harmony for APS is specifically designed to increase the operational efficiency of APS agencies. The system of choice for agencies across the country, Harmony for APS optimizes investigative performance using industry-proven best practices.