Louisiana Adult Protective Services Clients’ Rights During the APS Process
 

By Shannon Ioannou, Assistant Director, Adult Protective Services, Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Aging and Adult Services

October 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic limited interactive in-person contact with vulnerable adults and community partners, causing established Louisiana adult protective services (APS) agency relationships to wane. This prompted the Louisiana Department of Health’s Office of Aging and Adult Services to develop and implement updates to departmental and agency policies, state statutes, investigative processes, and service planning protocols. 

In 2023, Louisiana APS administrators identified programmatic areas open to further enhancement of transparency and the quality of client services for vulnerable adults. A primary area of focus was the development and implementation of new protocols aimed at promoting the highest level of ethical standards and emphasize trustworthy agency relationships with Louisiana residents.
 

Vulnerable adults and their family members or other trusted caregivers are often unaware of the adult’s right to participate in self-advocacy, plan and implement in-home services and supports, and even refuse or withdraw from services provided through APS involvement (unless they have a court-appointed guardian). To promote self-determination, APS must ensure clients and their trusted caregivers know the client’s rights when an APS investigation begins. Giving the client or, if the client lacks capacity, their caregiver immediate access to materials and information that provide a comprehensive overview of these rights is essential to understand their options before accepting services. 
 

Vulnerable adults in Louisiana receive a disclaimer form, “Clients’ Rights During the APS Process,” from their assigned APS specialist during the initial in-person interview. The form provides the vulnerable adult with the assurance of confidentiality and their right to informed consent, as well as:

• The name and contact information of their assigned APS specialist
• An overview of the adult’s rights to receive protective services without limitations
• Confirmation of the client’s rights to withdraw from participation at any time, have a person or persons of their choice present during APS interviews and involved with the service planning process, and have a court-appointed attorney represent their interests at any court proceedings proposed by APS
   

Louisiana APS specialists have provided feedback on their experiences in the field since the inception of this protocol. Some clients, family members, and trusted caregivers accept the form and express gratitude for the information; others decline the form and advise they are already aware of their rights. Many people accept and keep the form to save the name and contact information of the assigned APS specialist, while others allowed the assigned APS specialist to read the form to them when they were unable to read the information independently. 

The importance of providing them with the information and opportunity to exercise their fundamental rights is immeasurable.

If you would like more information about Louisiana’s clients’ rights form, please contact Assistant Director Shannon Ioannou at Shannon.ioannou@la.gov at the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Aging and Adult Services, Adult Protective Services. 

 

The APS Blog is updated regularly with posts from contributing authors and new publications from the APS TARC.

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