The number of cases reported to the Door County Adult Protective Services Program is on a trajectory to increase by 90 percent from last year, according to Health and Human Services Director Joe Krebsbach. As of July 31, 2025, the program has 91 cases, he reported to the HHS board on Sept. 8.
The total number of APS cases for all of 2024 was 77.
The recent surge in APS cases can partially be attributed to an increase in public awareness of elder abuse and neglect and a more accessible program, Taylor Jandrin said. Jandrin is one of two social workers with APS. The program moved offices from the Door County Government Center to the ADRC building in Sturgeon Bay in January, and APS staff have more contact and interaction with the aging population who frequents the building, she said.
But the primary driver of the increase has been a rise in cases of financial abuse, especially scams that can cause elderly victims to lose thousands of dollars, Jandrin said.
To address the increased caseload, the HHS board voted unanimously in favor of hiring another APS caseworker at its Sept. 8 board meeting. The program currently has two social workers. Hiring another worker would prevent “staff burnout, delayed response times, and reduced quality of service for vulnerable adults,” according to a memo from Krebsbach to the board.
The county Administrative Committee and the Board of Supervisors also need to approve the hire. The role is already included in the Aging and Disability Resource Center’s 2026 budget, but there is money available in the 2025 HHS budget, according to Krebsbach.
Those funds are currently earmarked for an Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Coordinator position, but that role has been vacant since January, meaning the money is available to hire another APS caseworker as soon as possible, he said. The department is eliminating the AODA Coordinator position and incorporating the responsibilities into a Behavioral Health Clinical Supervisor position that also remains unfilled, Krebsbach added.
What the program does
There is an APS program in every county in the state, overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. In Door County, APS operates under two categories: adults-at-risk, which covers ages 18 to 59, and elder abuse and neglect, which is for ages 60 and older.
In Door County, the “elder abuse and neglect” cases outnumber “adults-at-risk,” Jandrin said. Thirty-one percent of the population are people over the age of 65. The median age in Door County is 54 years old in comparison to the median age in the whole state, which is 40.
The APS program’s primary responsibility is to accept and investigate reports of abuse or neglect and provide case management for adults or elders who are at risk and in need of protection. When someone contacts the program with a suspected abuse or neglect case, the first thing a caseworker will do is collect information, Jandrin said, That information is confidential.
Someone who makes a report will never be identified to anyone else by APS, she said, and that is important because some people might fear retaliation from family members or others involved in the situation for making a report. Confidentiality also means APS staff will not be able to update the person who made the report about the details of the case, Jandrin added.
Once APS receives a report and collects information, staff will start an investigation. Often that means phone calls or home visits to the potential victim. Caseworkers can also determine the individual’s competency and whether or not they have a designated power-of-attorney. If someone is competent but not willing to accept APS services or assistance however, Jandrin said, there is not much the program can do.
If an at-risk adult or elder is not competent due to mental health issues, disability, dementia or some other reason, and does not have a designated power-of-attorney, APS can start court proceedings for guardianship, or to appoint a guardian, she said.
The program collaborates with several other local agencies and organizations, and an interdisciplinary team meets regularly, according to Jandrin. Door County Medical Center, law enforcement, HHS, ADRC, emergency services, County Corporation Counsel, Public Health, HELP of DC, and home healthcare representatives are all part of that team.
One type of abuse
According to Wisconsin state law, financial exploitation or abuse of an elderly person includes several things, including deceiving, forcing, compelling or coercing someone to give money or property without informed consent, outright theft, neglect of duties by a fiscal agent, identity theft, forgery, or credit card fraud.
Elder financial abuse is almost always perpetrated by someone creating a manipulative dynamic with the victim, according to Prof. Peter Lichtenberg. Lichtenberg is a clinical psychologist who specializes in gerontology from Michigan’s Wayne State University, and an expert in financial exploitation of older adults.
Elderly people are more vulnerable to “more and more sophisticated and convincing” financial scammers, Lichtenberg said. Willingness to engage with strangers, cognitive decline, loneliness and isolation, and a social taboo around discussing personal finances all contribute to that vulnerability, he said.
“Scammers know this,” Lichtenberg said. According to his research, at least 50 percent of older people surveyed wish they had someone to speak to about financial decisions and transactions.
“They don’t want to talk to their friends or grown children about their financial issues,” he added.
Often scammers prey upon older people’s need for success, intimacy and connection. Current social attitudes toward aging, far-flung families, loss of mobility and social opportunities, and financial strain can leave older people feeling invisible, Lichtenberg said, and the scam artist who pretends to be romantically interested, or in need of help, creates a “spark” in some older people’s lives.
Coupled with the rapid growth of the nation’s elderly population, it is no wonder there has been an “absolute explosion” in elder financial abuse cases like the one Door County is facing, Lichtenberg said.
The Internet Crime Report released by the FBI annually, shows a huge jump in these kinds of cases. In 2023, people aged 60 years and older made 101,068 complaints and reported $3.4 billion in losses.
In 2024, 147,127 elderly individuals made complaints, totaling $4.8 billion in losses.
Some of the increase is attributable to better reporting, Lichtenberg said, but most represents an actual rise in the number of incidents. Financial scammers target older people because they are simply the most vulnerable to this type of abuse, he said.
‘The only game in town’
Adult Protective Services programs are usually underfunded and the caseloads are heavy, Lichtenberg said. They are the most qualified to handle elder financial abuse cases, he said, as they work with law enforcement and are trained to intervene in these often sensitive situations.
As the problem grows, many programs are starting to buckle under the weight, he added, indicating there is some debate whether APS should even take on financial scam and exploitation cases, unless they are perpetrated by a family or friend. This would leave these cases to be managed solely by law enforcement and financial institutions’ fraud departments.
It is why he has made his own research and risk assessment tools available for free to APS professionals and caregivers online.
“They are the only game in town,” he said.
Jandrin at Door County APS said she is thankful the process is in motion to hire another caseworker before current staff is burnt out or cases become backed up.
Jennifer Fitzgerald, ADRC director, and HHS Director Krebsbach “did a really good job at looking at our community and population and trajectory of our numbers,” she said. “Listening to us, advocating on our behalf.”
Door County APS participates in regional meetings regularly, where neighboring counties like Kewaunee, Brown, Sheboygan and Waupaca share their situations and ideas, Jandrin said.
“Every county has said very similar things,” she said. “An increase in calls since last year.”
Locally, a lack of home healthcare workers, mental healthcare providers and affordable senior housing contributes to the Door County elderly population’s need, she added. Those unmet needs make it harder for people to stay in their homes.
“It’s really challenging to get people (for home visits) all the way up to Ellison Bay, or even Washington Island,” Jandrin said.
Often, if APS needs to place someone under guardianship, the limited skilled nursing facilities, adult family homes and assisted living options means the person goes to Kewaunee or Brown counties, or further, she said. Keeping elderly people in their community, with their “natural supports,” has much better outcomes than moving them far away, Jandrin added.
Prevention
There are some signs of abuse or neglect to watch for if you are a caregiver or loved one of an at-risk elder or adult, according to Jandrin.
If someone is acting like an unwilling participant in activities; withdrawing; or expressing fear, depression or anger, they might be experiencing mental abuse. Signs of physical abuse and neglect or self-neglect include dehydration, malnutrition, noticeable weight loss, poor personal hygiene, unsanitary home conditions and bizarre or inappropriate behavior. Signs of financial abuse can include sudden or unexplained changes in bank account activity, changed names on accounts, forged signatures, changes in legal documents and unpaid bills.
“If something doesn’t feel right, give us a call,” Jandrin said. “Sharing your concerns is okay.”
Specifically in regards to financial abuse, Lichtenberg said it’s important to understand how to intervene when one suspects a scam. It is often a delicate situation, and without some background, intervention may make the problem worse by causing the victim to shut down and stop communicating about the situation, he said.
“You can’t rush in and give advice and act like you know it all,” he said. “You really have to partner and negotiate and build that bridge, really understand how they perceive it before you can negotiate changes.”
Spreading awareness and education about current scams circulating and how perpetrators approach their victims is helpful, according to Jandrin and Lichtenberg. Financial advocacy, information about scam warning signs and open communication with aging relatives about finances are also ways to prevent financial abuse.