Aging Department Oversight Failures
New Audit Reveals Severe Oversight Flaws In Pennsylvania Aging Department Protective Services
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Key Points
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The audit covered the period from Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and examined whether the Department of Aging both monitored investigations properly and ensured that protective-services staff met legally required minimum training standards.
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Auditors found that the department treated its own 20-day investigation deadline as a goal rather than a mandatory requirement, while financial-exploitation investigations had no time limit at all—conditions the report said could increase the risk of harm to older adults.
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Auditor General Timothy DeFoor said, “Older Pennsylvanians are falling through the cracks of a system that is designed to protect them,” adding that the state was “not hitting the mark” and needed to improve.
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The audit’s conclusions echoed findings from Spotlight PA’s two-year “Unprotected” investigation, which documented persistent failures in Pennsylvania’s older-adult protective-services system and cases that sometimes produced devastating or catastrophic outcomes.
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The Department of Aging’s Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation system replaced the Legacy Monitoring System, was piloted in 2024 and fully implemented in 2025, making the audit an early assessment of the state’s new oversight framework.
Pennsylvania's Department of Aging failed to properly oversee the 52 county agencies that investigate elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, according to an 80-page audit released by state Auditor General Tim DeFoor. The audit found 10 major weaknesses, including lax investigation deadlines, poor record-keeping, and gaps in staff training that could leave vulnerable older adults at serious risk Newsday.
Auditor General DeFoor said, "Older Pennsylvanians are falling through the cracks of a system that is designed to protect them." The state's Department of Aging was "not hitting the mark," he added. The 18-month audit examined whether the department properly monitored investigations and ensured protective-services staff met legal training requirements Newsday.
Investigation Deadlines Treated as Suggestions, Not Rules
The Department of Aging treated its own 20-day investigation deadline as a goal rather than a firm requirement, auditors found Winnipeg Free Press. More alarming: financial-exploitation investigations had no time limit at all. This lack of urgency could delay help for older adults facing active threats Newsday.
New Monitoring System Hides Warning Signs of Danger
The Department of Aging replaced its old monitoring system with a new one called the Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation system, launched in 2025. But auditors discovered a critical flaw: the new system omits key measures, such as whether older adults remain at risk of harm Winnipeg Free Press. This gap makes agency performance look better than it actually is.
The audit also found weak follow-up on closed cases, inadequate risk assessment tools, and insufficient oversight of death reviews. These gaps mean dangerous situations can slip through without notice The Independent.
Systemic Failures Echo Widespread Press Investigations
The audit's damning conclusions align with Spotlight PA's two-year "Unprotected" investigation into Pennsylvania's protective-services system. That reporting documented persistent failures that sometimes produced devastating or catastrophic outcomes for older adults Newsday. The new state audit confirms those problems remain deeply rooted.
Auditors Issue 36+ Recommendations for Urgent Reform
The audit issued more than three dozen recommendations to fix the system. These include enforcing investigation deadlines as law, improving staff-training oversight, and strengthening public transparency Winnipeg Free Press. Some fixes may require new state legislation to implement properly.
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