Join NAPSA’s Research to Practice (R2P) Interest Group for an upcoming webinar on Thursday, April 2 at 3:00 PM EST.
APS Work with Clients at the End of Life: Challenges, Support Needs, and Advance Care Planning
Adult Protective Services (APS) professionals often work with clients who are seriously ill or nearing the end of life while also addressing complex cases of elder abuse and self-neglect. This webinar will highlight findings from focus groups with APS professionals exploring the unique challenges they face in these situations, including family conflict, service barriers, client self-determination, and emotional strain.
The session will also examine how APS workers approach advance care planning conversations and identify critical support needs, including stronger interagency collaboration and organizational resources to better support practice in end-of-life contexts.
Speakers
Wei-Lin Xue, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University
Dr. Xue’s research focuses on dementia caregiving, dyadic relationship quality, and elder mistreatment, with an emphasis on developing theory-driven interventions to strengthen caregiver commitment and well-being. Her work integrates social, behavioral, and health sciences to improve outcomes for caregivers and persons living with dementia.
Joy Swanson Ernst, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor Emerita, Wayne State University School of Social Work
Dr. Ernst’s research draws on APS data and community partnerships to examine caregiver neglect, self-neglect, APS workers’ experiences in end-of-life care, and the effectiveness of interdisciplinary social work-nurse teams in APS interventions. Her recent work explores innovative approaches to addressing mistreatment, including technology-based strategies for self-neglect prevention. Dr. Ernst is also a long-time member of NAPSA’s Research to Practice (R2P) Interest Group.
If you are unable to attend live, the webinar will be recorded and posted to our website afterward for later viewing.

