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King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
King County Courthouse, Room W554
516 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104-2362
(206) 296-9000

 

Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse

If you suspect that a crime against a vulnerable adult is occurring or has occurred, you should do two things:

  1. Report the crime to the police by calling 911; and

  2. Report the crime to DSHS:

    • Call 1-800-562-6078 if the crime occurred in a boarding home, an adult family home, or a nursing home.

    • Call 1-866-221-4909 if the crime occurred anywhere besides a boarding home, adult family home, or a nursing home.

When in doubt, please report.

In response to the rapidly increasing elderly population in King County, and to increases in crimes against vulnerable adults, our office has created a unit trained to address the special circumstances inherent in these cases. Our Elder Abuse team addresses the abuse of vulnerable adults, a population that includes disabled adults as well as the elderly. Our goals are three-fold:

  • to prosecute cases of neglect, financial exploitation and sexual assault of the elderly and disabled;

  • to work collaboratively with police, social service agencies, and medical professionals to improve the referral, investigation, and, ultimately, prosecution of cases of abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults;

  • and, to provide training to first responders so they can better recognize and react to such cases.

If you have questions about our Elder Abuse Team, contact:

Page Ulrey, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, or

Kathy Van Olst, Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney

For information regarding the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Conference, please contact Shelley Fraley at 206-296-9010.