IBO: Greater Demands To Aid Disabled Adults

A rising number of senior citizens and other vulnerable residents are in need of the Human Resources Administration’s Adult Protective Services division, resulting in a rise in caseloads, according to a report by the city’s Independent Budget Office.

APS helps New Yorkers over the age of 18 who are mentally or physically impaired; and thus are unable to manage their own finances or daily tasks and have no one else who can assist them. The growing number of New Yorkers 65 or older, as well as the fact that senior citizens are increasingly likely to live alone, have contributed to a 37-percent growth in the number of cases at APS. Between Fiscal Years 2014 and 2018, the average number of cases under the division’s care per year rose from 5,406 to 7,407.