Adult Protection Services

Provided by: Government of Nova Scotia - Department of Health and Wellness

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Service Description

Offers help and support to adults, living in a situation of significant risk of self-neglect or experiencing serious harm due to a mental or physical condition.

Adult protection workers can intervene and offer services to help those in need of protection. The Adult Protection Act does not cover cases of financial abuse.

Who needs protection?
Adults 16 years and older who are living in a situation of significant risk of self-neglect, or experiencing abuse or neglect by others which results in serious harm to the person and their inability to protect themselves from abuse or neglect by reason of mental and/or physical incapacity. Adult Protection Services has the authority to intervene based on the following:

The person is living at an immediate and significant level if risk and does not understand or appreciate the level of risk he/she is living in.
The person does not have the physical capacity to protect him/herself from the assessed risk.
The person has a permanent, irreversible condition that affects their physical or mental ability to protect themselves

Eligibility

Adults age 16 and older living in a situation of significant risk of self-neglect, abuse or caregiver neglect and who lack the ability to protect themselves due to mental or physical incapacity could be referred for services and/or placement

Application Process

The Adult Protection Act requires that you report information about an adult in need of protection to the Department of Health and Wellness by calling the toll free number 1-800-225-7225

If you feel the person may be in immediate danger, call 9-1-1

If you are calling from outside Nova Scotia about someone who lives in a community serviced by the Nova Scotia Health Authority, please call the appropriate number below:

• Annapolis and Kings Counties: 902-487-0297
• Cape Breton County, Northern and Central Inverness County and Victoria County: 902-487-0298
• Colchester County and Municipality of East Hants: 902-487-0296
• Cumberland County: 902-487-0296
• Guysborough, Antigonish and Richmond Counties and the southern portion of Inverness County: 902-487-0298
• Halifax Regional Municipality and Hants County: 902-487-0607
• Pictou County: 902-487-0296
• Lunenburg and Queens Counties: 902-487-0297
• Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth Counties: 902-487-0297