An audit of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging has uncovered major flaws in its oversight of local agencies tasked with preventing elder abuse, raising concerns that vulnerable older adults may be at greater risk. The 80-page audit, conducted by Auditor General Tim DeFoor’s office, identified 10 key weaknesses in how the department supervises the 52 county-based Area Agencies on Aging. One major issue is the department’s new system for monitoring the quality of abuse and neglect investigations, which no longer evaluates critical factors, such as whether an older adult was left in a potentially harmful situation. The audit also pointed out that the department’s new monitoring tool, called the Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation (CAPE), only assesses county agencies every 18 months, which conflicts with state law requiring annual reviews. Since CAPE was introduced at the start of 2025, only about half of the county agencies had been evaluated, putting the department significantly behind schedule. Additionally, the CAPE system no longer uses a weighted scoring method, which could artificially boost a county’s score for conducting quality investigations. Another concern raised by the audit is that the department incorrectly claims state regulations do not require abuse and neglect investigations to be completed within 20 days of a complaint. The auditors clarified that the 20-day timeline is a legal requirement, not a “goal,” and that the department now allows counties to provide excuses for missing the deadline, potentially inflating compliance scores. The audit also found that the department lacks a formal process for reviewing cases where an older adult dies during an active abuse or neglect investigation. It also has not established a timeframe for investigating financial exploitation, a growing problem among older adults, and has not ensured that local staff receive proper training to perform their duties effectively. The Pennsylvania Department of Aging has challenged most of the audit’s findings, claiming that the report does not fully reflect the improvements being made in how county agencies are assessed. The department criticized the auditors for lacking objectivity and basing their conclusions on facts. In response, DeFoor’s office called the department’s reaction “unprofessional and unwarranted,” suggesting it was an attempt to avoid addressing the audit’s serious concerns. The audit’s findings echo previous reports by Spotlight PA, which highlighted significant failures in the department’s oversight of county aging agencies, sometimes leading to tragic outcomes. The Department of Aging is currently led by Secretary Jason Kavulich, appointed by Governor Josh Shapiro in 2023. Kavulich has acknowledged the need for improvement but has not described the situation as a “crisis.” State Senator Wayne Langerholc Jr., who chairs the Senate committee on aging issues, has called for “immediate action” to ensure the safety of older adults across Pennsylvania.