Who Can You Trust: Oversight of Conservatorships

1 BACKGROUND OF THE DMH’S OPG: DMH Finding: The Committee learned that the rich history of the OPG’s office has had an excellent effect on the current services offered by the OPG. F10.2 BACKGROUND ON CLIMATE FOR CONSERVATORSHIP REFORM Finding: There are conservatorship reforms afoot in the County and California. The County needs to continue working on these reforms through the OPG and other County and City social service organizations such as WDACS, APS, PALA, as well as the DOA. F10.3 DATABASE: REPORTING CONSERVATORSHIP ABUSE PROBLEMS Finding: The Committee could find no comprehensive database in Los Angeles County that can be used to track conservatorships abuses and complaints across all senior services departments. F10.4 SENIOR SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS: Finding: There are not enough conservatorship advocacy and educational programs for the general public on how to spot conservatorship abuse from the OPG and other County and City social service organizations such as APS, WDACS, PALA, and DOA, to track conservatorship complaints and abuses. F10.5 LOS ANGELES COUNTY ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES (APS): ELDER ABUSE AND CONSERVATORSHIPS Finding: APS should initiate an outreach campaign to educate the public about conservatorship abuse. In addition, APS should also offer advocacy services to those who are conservatees and friends and family members of conservatees. F10.6 LOS ANGELES CITY DEPARTMENT OF AGING (DOA) Finding: DOA should initiate an outreach campaign to educate the public about conservatorship abuse. DOA should also offer advocacy services to those who are conservatees and friends and family members of conservatees.

BACKGROUND ON CLIMATE FOR CONSERVATORSHIP REFORM Finding: There are conservatorship reforms afoot in the County and California. The County needs to continue working on these reforms through the OPG and other County and City social service organizations such as WDACS, APS, PALA, as well as the DOA.

DATABASE: REPORTING CONSERVATORSHIP ABUSE PROBLEMS Finding: The Committee could find no comprehensive database in Los Angeles County that can be used to track conservatorships abuses and complaints across all senior services departments.

SENIOR SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS: Finding: There are not enough conservatorship advocacy and educational programs for the general public on how to spot conservatorship abuse from the OPG and other County and City social service organizations such as APS, WDACS, PALA, and DOA, to track conservatorship complaints and abuses.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES (APS): ELDER ABUSE AND CONSERVATORSHIPS Finding: APS should initiate an outreach campaign to educate the public about conservatorship abuse. In addition, APS should also offer advocacy services to those who are conservatees and friends and family members of conservatees.

LOS ANGELES CITY DEPARTMENT OF AGING (DOA) Finding: DOA should initiate an outreach campaign to educate the public about conservatorship abuse. DOA should also offer advocacy services to those who are conservatees and friends and family members of conservatees. F 10.7 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND AGING COMMUNITY SERVICES (WDACS): Finding: With the newly created Aging and Community Services (ACS) under WDACS, the new executive director and the County have a perfect opportunity to help the community with education and advocacy for those who may be victims of conservatorship abuse. 168

BUDGET: FUNDING OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN (OPG): Finding: Currently, the OPG’s budget needs additional funding by the County to continue to provide services. RECOMMMENDATIONS