Audit of the Greater Springfield Senior Services, Inc. (GSSSI)

This is a Massachusetts State Auditor performance audit of Greater Springfield Senior Services’ Protective Services Unit for July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018.

“In this performance audit, we examined GSSSI’s process for screening, investigating, documenting, and reporting incidents of abuse of elderly persons, executing service plans to assist abused elderly persons, and hiring caseworkers and supervisors for the Protective Services Unit.”

Auditors reviewed whether GSSSI followed state rules for elder-abuse case records, investigations, service plans, referrals to district attorneys, and staff qualifications.

“Below is a list of our audit objectives, indicating each question we intended our audit to answer, the conclusion we reached regarding each objective, and where each objective is discussed in the audit findings.”

These procedures matter because missed referrals, late investigations, or poor documentation can leave older adults at continued risk and can make it harder to investigate or prosecute abuse.

“Without making referrals to DAs’ offices and adequately documenting them in APS, GSSSI cannot be certain that it has taken the necessary steps to ensure appropriate investigation, prosecution of alleged perpetrators of abuse, and mitigation of risks of abuse.”

If you or someone you care about is an older adult in the Springfield area, this audit concerns whether the agency responsible for investigating elder-abuse reports handled those cases carefully and on time.

“GSSSI’s Protective Services Unit is 1 of 20 protective services agencies (PSAs) across the Commonwealth that have been designated by EOEA to help receive and investigate reports of abuse of elderly persons.”

The auditor found repeated compliance problems, but GSSSI said it was adding monitoring, training, staffing, and quality-assurance steps to fix them.

“Based on its response, GSSSI is taking measures to address our concerns in this area.”

The report recommends that GSSSI strengthen oversight so referrals, documentation, investigations, service plans, and hiring practices meet state requirements even during turnover or heavy caseloads.

“GSSSI should establish monitoring controls to ensure that investigations are properly conducted in a timely manner, even in the event of increased caseloads and employee turnover.”

This audit is significant because it found weaknesses in the systems meant to protect elderly people from abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and exploitation in the greater Springfield area.

“Without properly conducting investigations of abuse of elderly persons, workers and supervisors could reach incorrect conclusions, allowing the abuse to continue.”

A protective services agency is an organization assigned by the state to receive and investigate elder-abuse reports; a service plan is the written plan for actions and services meant to reduce or stop the abuse.

“Once GSSSI has investigated and substantiated an allegation of abuse of an elderly person, a Protective Services Unit caseworker, in consultation with his/her supervisor, develops a service plan to provide protective services to the person.”