The New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services defines a vulnerable adult as “a person age 18 years or older residing in the community (who) due to physical or mental illness, disability or deficiency, lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make, communicate, or carry out decisions concerning his or her well-being. These adults can be the subject of abuse, neglect or exploitation.”1
The Virtus Code of Conduct states that “the phrase ‘vulnerable adults’ has a wide and varied definition, but is not limited to:
- persons 18 years of age and older, with physical, mental, emotional or behavioral conditions;
- adults with an illness, or situation that renders an inability to defend, protect or get help when injured or abused;
- individuals whose condition or disability impairs their ability to provide adequately for their own care, including adults who habitually lack the use of reason, along with individuals who have a court-appointed guardian;
- the elderly, whose various circumstances might make them susceptible to persons or situations that cause them harm, or individuals who are residents or patients within hospitals, group homes, nursing homes, day service facilities, day activity centers, adult foster-care homes or an adult who receives care services from a licensed home care or personal care service within their own homes.”2
In “Vos estis lux mundi”(You are the light of the world), Pope Francis stated that a vulnerable adult may be “any person in a state of infirmity, physical or mental deficiency, or deprivation of personal liberty which, in fact, even occasionally, limits their ability to understand or to want to otherwise resist the offense.”
With this definition, the Pope opens consideration not only for those with significant permanent disabilities, but for those who due to some circumstance in life may be experiencing a temporary vulnerability.
Examples include the abused spouse struggling through a painful divorce, the soldier who returns from war and needs treatment for PTSD. The elderly man who is mourning the sudden loss of his wife of sixty years all may be found to be more vulnerable than they would be under normal life circumstances. In his presentation of this definition, Pope Francis also noted that vulnerability may exist where there is the imbalance of power such as that experienced between an employee and a supervisor, or other circumstances.
Care must be taken when ministering to the mentally disabled, to those suffering from dementia and to those who are limited in their ability to communicate. Working with family members and caretakers can help the clergy and lay ministers better understand how to show God’s love and mercy to each individual in a way that can be appreciated and understood. Identifying those struggling with temporary vulnerabilities requires sensitive observation and attentive listening.
Perhaps key to understanding the needs of all vulnerable adults is a careful reflection on the pitfalls within the imbalance of power.
For many in ministry, there is an ascribed role that brings with it either real or perceived power. Those who minister as members of the clergy, employees of the Chancery, educators in a Catholic parish or school, or professionals within Catholic service organizations can hold some element of control or power over those whom they serve. Power exists in their ability to offer services, to communicate welcome, to offer acceptance and to provide resources. In the Trenton Diocese, all who minister are challenged to faithfully live the episcopal motto “Ministrare non ministrari: to serve and not to be served.”
1 New Jersey Department of Human Services, Adult Protective Services; https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/aps/
2 Model Code of Conduct; VirtusOnline; The National Catholic Risk Retention Group; https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/model-code-of-conduct.docx