Definitions/Glossary

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Abandonment means desertion of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver;

Abuse means

(A) the willful, intentional, or reckless non-accidental, and non-therapeutic infliction of physical pain, injury, or mental distress; or
(B) sexual assault under AS 11.41.410 or 11.41.420;

Caregiver means

(A) a person who is providing care to a vulnerable adult as a result of a family relationship, or who has assumed responsibility for the care of a vulnerable adult voluntarily, by contract, or by court order; or
(B) an employee of an out-of-home care facility who provides care to one or more vulnerable adults;

Culture means Behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions and all other products of human work or thoughts in a population or community.

Decision making capacity means the ability to understand and appreciate the nature and consequences of a decision and the ability to reach and communicate an informed decision;

Department means the Department of Health and Social Services;

Designee means another state agency or a community-based program, individual, or provider of supportive services that has been licensed, or authorized by agreement with the department, to provide one or more services to vulnerable adults;

Disability by the American’s with Disability Act means An individual who has a physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more life activities (self-care, manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, learning, working), or An individual who has a record of a physical or mental disability, or An individual who is regarded as having a disability by others;

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive and abusive tactics used to gain power and control over a partner in an intimate relationship. Domestic violence can have both male and female victims;

Exploitation means unjust or improper use of another person or another person's resources for one's own profit or advantage;

Incapacitated person means a person whose ability to receive and evaluate information or to communicate decisions is impaired to the extent that the person lacks the ability to provide or arrange for the essential requirements for the person's physical health or safety without court-ordered assistance;

Neglect means the intentional failure by a caregiver to provide essential care or services necessary to maintain the physical and mental health of the vulnerable adult;

Police officer has the meaning given in AS 18.65.290;

Protective services means services that are intended to prevent or alleviate harm resulting from abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect and that are provided to a vulnerable adult in need of protection; protective services includes protective placement;

Public home care provider has the meaning given in AS 47.05.017(c);

Risk factors means a quality of yourself, your behavior, cognitive abilities, where you live, level of mobility, medical diagnosis or physical abilities that predispose you to something occurring, in this case abuse.

Self-neglect means an act or omission by a vulnerable adult that results, or could result in the deprivation of essential services necessary to maintain minimal mental, emotional, or physical health and safety;

Sexual assault Includes examples noted for sexual abuse and any rape, attempted rape, unwanted sexual contact or threats. It includes any kind of sexual touches on any part of a person’s body without consent, with or without clothes;

Supportive services means the range of services delivered by public and private organizations and individuals that assist the elderly and vulnerable adults with their social, health, educational, recreational, transportation, housing, nutritional, financial, legal, or other needs;

Stalking is the willful, malicious, and repeated following and harassing of another person;

Unable to consent means refusal to, or inability to, accept services because

(A) the person is an incapacitated person or apparently is an incapacitated person;
(B) of coercion by or fear of reprisal from the perpetrator of abandonment, exploitation, abuse, or neglect;
(C) of dependency on the perpetrator of abandonment, exploitation, abuse, or neglect for services, care, or support; or
(D) of an inability to perceive that refusal to consent results in an imminent and substantial danger of death or irreparable harm to self or others;

Vulnerable adult means a person 18 years of age or older who, because of physical or mental impairment, is unable to meet the person's own needs or to seek help without assistance.