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Home » US Law » 2022 Alaska Statutes » Title 47. Welfare, Social Services, and Institutions » Chapter 24. Protection of Vulnerable Adults

Sec. 47.24.010. Persons required to report; reports of harm.

(a) Except as provided in (e) of this section, the following persons who, in the performance of their professional duties, have reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult suffers from undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect shall, not later than 24 hours after first having cause for the belief, report the belief […]

Sec. 47.24.011. Duties of the department regarding services and protection for vulnerable adults.

In order to facilitate the provision of supportive and protective services for vulnerable adults, the department shall (1) compile information on available supportive and protective services for vulnerable adults in the state; (2) establish, publicize, and maintain a vulnerable adult centralized intake office; (3) develop and coordinate a statewide system to serve vulnerable adults who […]

Sec. 47.24.013. Reports of undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of vulnerable adults in out-of-home care facilities.

(a) If a report received under AS 47.24.010 pertains to the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of a vulnerable adult that is alleged to have been committed by or to have resulted from the negligence of the staff or a volunteer of an out-of-home care facility, including a facility licensed under AS […]

Sec. 47.24.015. Action on reports.

(a) Upon the department’s receipt of a report under AS 47.24.010, the department, or its designee, shall promptly initiate an investigation to determine whether the vulnerable adult who is the subject of the report suffers from undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect. The department, or its designee, shall conduct a face-to-face interview with […]

Sec. 47.24.016. Surrogate decision makers for vulnerable adults.

(a) If the department determines under AS 47.24.015 that a vulnerable adult is in need of protective services, but the department cannot obtain the vulnerable adult’s consent to receive the services because the vulnerable adult is unable to consent or lacks decision making capacity, and has no guardian, conservator, attorney-in-fact, trustee, or surrogate for health […]

Sec. 47.24.017. Delivery of protective services for vulnerable adults.

(a) If the department determines under AS 47.24.015 that a vulnerable adult is in need of protective services and the vulnerable adult, the vulnerable adult’s guardian, conservator, attorney-in-fact, trustee, a surrogate decision maker selected under AS 47.24.016, or a surrogate for health care decisions under AS 13.52.030 consents to receipt of the protective services, and […]

Sec. 47.24.019. Petitioning court for certain protective services.

(a) If, after investigation under AS 47.24.015, the department has reasonable cause to believe that a vulnerable adult is in need of protective services and is an incapacitated person, the department may petition the court under AS 13.26 for appointment of a guardian or temporary guardian, or for a change of guardian, for the vulnerable […]

Sec. 47.24.040. Monitoring.

If ongoing protective services are provided to a vulnerable adult under AS 47.24.017, the department shall monitor the adult’s situation, as the department considers appropriate, until the department determines that the protective services are no longer needed.

Sec. 47.24.050. Confidentiality of reports.

(a) Investigation reports and reports of the undue influence, abandonment, exploitation, abuse, neglect, or self-neglect of a vulnerable adult filed under this chapter are confidential and are not subject to public inspection and copying under AS 40.25.110 – 40.25.125. However, under this chapter and regulations adopted under this chapter, investigation reports may be used by […]

Sec. 47.24.120. Immunity from liability; retaliation prohibited.

(a) A person who in good faith makes a report under AS 47.24.010, regardless of whether the person is required to do so, is immune from civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed for making the report. (b) An employer or supervisor of a person who in good faith makes a […]

Sec. 47.24.130. Treatment through spiritual means.

This chapter may not be construed to mean that a person is unduly influenced, abused, neglected, self-neglected, vulnerable, unable to consent, abandoned, exploited, or in need of emergency or protective services for the sole reason that the person relies on or is being furnished treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone under the tenets and […]

Sec. 47.24.900. Definitions.

In this chapter, (1) “abandonment” means desertion of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver; (2) “abuse” means (A) the intentional, knowing, or reckless nonaccidental and nontherapeutic infliction of physical pain, injury, mental or emotional distress, or fear, including coercion and intimidation; or (B) sexual assault under AS 11.41.410 or 11.41.420; (3) “caregiver” means (A) a […]