Gateway Area Development District Board of Directors established an Elder Abuse Council in October 2003 as a result of the Kentucky Commission on Elder Abuse initiatives to address the needs of older adults who are vulnerable to abuse or neglect.

The Goal of the Gateway Council on Elder Abuse: To develop and facilitate an effective community-wide system of prevention and intervention that is responsive to the need of victims of elder maltreatment (abuse, neglected and/or exploited) family members and formal or informal caretakers.

The full Council meets monthly and has Standing Sub-Committees to address issues of prevention, intervention and agency coordination of services that reports to the full Council. These meetings are open meetings and the public is invited to attend.

The Kentucky Revised Statutes 209.020 defines an adult as a mentally of physically dysfunctional person 18 years of age or older who could not manage his own resources, carry out daily activities, or protect himself from neglect or abuse, and who may be in need of protective services.  An adult is also defined as a person without regard to age who is the victim of abuse and neglect inflicted by a spouse.  Abuse, neglect, and exploitation are defined in KRS 209.020 as follows:

• Abuse is the infliction of physical pain, mental injury, or injury of an adult.  The definition includes sexual, physical, and mental or emotional abuse.
• Neglect results from the inability of an adult to perform or obtain the services necessary to maintain his or her health or welfare, or the deprivation of necessary services by a caretaker, including a spouse.
• Exploitation means improper use of an adult’s money, property, and other resources by a caretaker or other person for personal profit.  Exploitation often results from intimidation of a vulnerable adult.