2.1 Vulnerable Adult Abuse and Maltreatment

Any intentional or neglectful act by any caregiver, family member, or person to a vulnerable adult that causes them harm or puts them at risk of harm is considered vulnerable adult abuse.

Specifically, under the Minnesota Statutes:

“Abuse means an act against a vulnerable adult that constitutes a violation of an attempt to violate, or aiding and abetting a violation of these statutes:

• Assault in the first through fifth degrees
• The use of drugs to injure or facilitate crime
• The solicitation, inducement, and promotion of prostitution
• Criminal sexual conduct in the first through fifth degrees.”

Maltreatment generally refers to mistreatment or specifically cruel and violent treatment of a person. Under the Minnesota Statutes, “[m]altreatment means abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation as defined below:

• Abuse is physical, emotional, or sexual.
• Neglect is the failure to provide for food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and/or supervision.
• Financial exploitation is the misuse of funds, assets or property or the failure to use the vulnerable adult’s financial resources to care for the vulnerable adult, which results in or is likely to result in detriment to the vulnerable adult.”