Neglect of an elderly person or a disabled adult occurs when the caregiver...

• A. The caregiver willfully failed to provide the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the physical or mental health of the elderly person or disabled adult, or failed to make a reasonable effort to protect them from abuse, neglect, or exploitation by another person
• B. The caregiver intentionally harmed the victim
• C. The caregiver provides adequate care
• D. The caregiver confiscates property without consent

Answer: (A)

Neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult centers on a caregiver’s failure to meet essential care and protective duties. It means not providing the care, supervision, or services needed to maintain the person’s physical or mental health, and it also includes not taking reasonable steps to shield them from abuse, neglect, or exploitation by someone else. The focus is on a duty to act and a breach of that duty—a deliberate or reckless disregard for the person’s welfare that leaves them vulnerable to harm.

This concept is distinct from direct harm or abuse, which involves intentional injury or wrongful treatment. It’s also different from simply not having a perfect level of care in every situation, as neglect typically requires a failure that jeopardizes health or safety or a lack of protective action. Financial actions like taking or withholding property fall under exploitation or financial abuse, not neglect per se, because they concern economic harm rather than failure to provide essential care or safety.