Vulnerable Adult

✦ Vulnerable Adults

What Is a Vulnerable Adult?

A vulnerable adult is any person 18 years or older who struggles to protect their own well-being due to:

✦ Mental, emotional, or cognitive disability

✦ Physical disability

✦ Illness or neurological conditions

✦ Trauma (including TBI)

✦ Situational vulnerability (poverty, isolation, exploitation, dependency)

These individuals are at higher risk of abuse, manipulation, neglect, and exploitation—both socially and legally.

✦ Vulnerable Adult

Key Characteristics of Vulnerable Adults

Included:

✦ Difficulty making or communicating decisions

✦ Relying on others for financial, physical, or emotional support

✦ Increased risk of being targeted by predators

✦ Challenges in recognizing harm being done

✦ Being mislabeled as incompetent, inferior, or incapable

Examples of Legal Rights

✦ Right to be free from abuse, exploitation, and negligence

✦ Right to fair treatment in employment (ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act)

✦ Right to accommodations in the workplace

✦ Right to make personal and financial decisions unless legally declared incompetent

✦ Right to legal representation in disputes or accusations

✦ Right to safe access to benefits, including SSI and SSDI

These rights matter especially for disabled or unemployed adults who may be targeted, pressured, or manipulated due to their vulnerability.

Legal & Social Meaning

Legally, vulnerable adults are protected by laws designed to:

✦ Prevent financial exploitation

✦ Prevent physical and emotional abuse

✦ Safeguard decision-making rights

✦ Ensure access to public benefits

✦ Protect property, inheritance, and long-term care rights

Socially, disabled individuals often face:

Stigma
Dismissal of their abilities
Assumptions about their intelligence
Exclusion from opportunities
Loss of autonomy