GANE App

GANE App: A Tool for Law Enforcement and Healthcare Professionals

Overview

GANE App is designed to support Law Enforcement and healthcare professionals in identifying and assisting at-risk adults. The application addresses critical issues faced by law enforcement and Adult Protective Services (APS) staff when encountering individuals who may be abused, neglected, or exploited. It also aims to assist in managing cases involving individuals with diminished cognitive capacity, such as those who wander or get lost.

Problem Statement

Law enforcement and APS staff frequently encounter situations where someone appears to have been abused, neglected, or exploited. Additionally, law enforcement personnel increasingly deal with cases where individuals with reduced cognitive function seem to be wandering or lost. When someone is deemed unsafe, whether due to removal from an unlicensed home or wandering, there are limited options for temporary placement to ensure their safety. Health care professionals could greatly benefit from rapid access to relevant information, screening tools, and services, especially during emergencies that often occur late at night.

Background

The Division of Aging Services (DAS) staff from Adult Protective Services, Forensics, and Livable Communities have collaborated with the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association on several initiatives related to abuse, neglect, and exploitation. These efforts include ACT training for law enforcement, identifying alternative placements for vulnerable adults living in unlicensed personal care homes, obtaining driving assessments for individuals with dementia, and assessing financial capacity. This collaboration led to the realization that an ANE App could be highly beneficial for law enforcement, APS, other healthcare professionals, and the general public.

App Features

Available to General Public and Healthcare Professionals:

• Contact Information: Comprehensive contact details for various agencies.
• Legal Information: Detailed information on laws related to abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Available to Law Enforcement and Other Professionals via Activation Code:

• Cognitive Functioning Screening: Questions and algorithms to assess cognitive functioning.
• Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Screening: Tools to identify signs of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Financial Capacity Assessment: Screening questions and algorithms to evaluate financial capacity.
• Emergency Placement: Locations for emergency placement, sorted by zip code and proximity to the user's location (pending).
• Mattie’s Call: Feature to receive and send alerts.
• Push Notifications: Updates on the latest scams targeting vulnerable adults.

Expected Outcomes

1. Increased Recognition and Reporting: Enhanced detection and reporting of abuse, neglect, and exploitation to the appropriate investigative and regulatory agencies.
2. Timely Emergency Placement: Provision of timely emergency placement options for vulnerable adults in crisis (pending).
3. Improved Identification of Wandering Individuals: Better identification of individuals needing immediate safe interventions due to wandering behaviors.
4. Scam Awareness: Heightened awareness of strategies to avoid scams targeting vulnerable adults.

By leveraging the GANE App, law enforcement and healthcare professionals can more effectively address the complex needs of at-risk adults, ensuring their safety and well-being. The app is a collaborative effort between the Georgia Law Enforcement, GBI, Division of Aging Services (DAS), and the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.