Full Breakdown
Pennsylvania Auditor General Flags Major Gaps in State Aging Department’s Elder-Abuse Oversight
By Drooid · · How we work
Audit Findings Highlight Systemic Weaknesses
In September 2026 the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s office released an 80-page performance audit of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA). The audit concluded that the department’s oversight of the 52 county-based Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) is riddled with deficiencies that could leave older adults at heightened risk of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and financial exploitation. Auditors identified ten specific deficiencies and issued 39 recommendations aimed at improving monitoring, training, and accountability. The audit period covered 2024 through June 30 2025.
Background and Oversight Framework
PDA’s oversight historically relied on a “Legacy Monitoring System” that weighted serious investigation failures more heavily. In early 2025 the department rolled out the Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation (CAPE) to replace that system. CAPE monitors AAAs only once every 18 months—contrary to state law that requires annual assessments—and applies a uniform weighting to all deficiencies, eliminating the previous emphasis on high-risk cases. The department also recharacterized the statutory 20-day deadline for completing abuse investigations as a “goal” rather than a mandatory requirement.
Data and Statistics
- 52 AAAs are responsible for investigating elder-abuse reports across the Commonwealth.
- 10 audit findings detail failures in risk assessment, record retention, death-review processes, investigation timelines, financial-exploitation oversight, annual evaluations, public reporting, quality-assurance controls, and staff-training adequacy.
- 39 specific recommendations were directed to PDA; 3 additional recommendations were aimed at the legislature to amend the Older Adults Protective Services Act.
- Since CAPE’s implementation, only about half of the AAAs had been monitored, leaving the department “well behind schedule.”
- The audit noted that PDA allows counties to label investigations that exceed the 20-day limit as “compliant” by providing discretionary explanations, potentially inflating compliance scores.
Official Statements & Responses
Governor Josh Shapiro’s office, through spokesperson Rosie Lapowsky, declined to comment on the audit’s substance and instead questioned whether DeFoor had adhered to accepted auditing practices.
Criticism & Opposition
PDA’s leadership labeled the audit “craven politics” and asserted that the findings reflected a “backward-looking, punitive approach” rather than a fair assessment of the newly implemented CAPE system. The department also argued that the audit failed to capture improvements made after CAPE’s rollout and accused the auditors of “unprofessional and unwarranted” conduct.
Verbatim Quotes
- “At what point does the Department of Aging look in the mirror and say, ‘We may have a problem,’” — Auditor General Tim DeFoor
- “Older Pennsylvanians are falling through the cracks of a system that is designed to protect them,” — Auditor General DeFoor
- “PDA shouldn’t like this audit, but it should be willing to use it as a tool to strengthen oversight of AAAs,” — Auditor General DeFoor
- “If this doesn't move the needle, then I don’t know what else will,” — Auditor General Timothy DeFoor
What’s Next
The audit’s 39 recommendations include mandating annual AAA evaluations, establishing a statutory requirement for reviewing all suspicious deaths of older adults, setting clear timeframes for financial-exploitation investigations, and instituting robust quality-assurance controls for CAPE. Legislative proposals to amend the Older Adults Protective Services Act are expected to be introduced in the upcoming session, though no specific timetable has been announced.
