Vulnerable adult

As defined in the psychology, sociology and social work fields, a vulnerable adult is any person who lacks the absolute most basic (as distinct from mid-level or typical level) human life skills. A vulnerable adult is unable, rather than unwilling, to properly learn or properly maintain these skills, and is usually completely without, and unable to obtain, any family, friends, acquaintances or other assistive persons in their lives to offer education or assistance in these areas (see: abandonment). To be classed as vulnerable, the adult's circumstances must be unable to be altered or improved by the adult's own individual actions without direct assistance from a more typical adult. The vulnerable adult must also be shown to be, on some significant level, a risk to him or her self if assistance is not provided.

In the law of England and Wales a wide definition is applied to meet the standard of vulnerable adult. Section 59 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 states that:

A person is a vulnerable adult if, having attained the age of 18, s/he —

In most parts of the world, the last section is the usual headlining definition for a vulnerable adult, i.e. the adult is unable to function cognitively or to adequately undertake basic day-to-day functions without the help or oversight of someone not impaired in these ways.

In Birmingham and the West Midlands, the term 'adult at risk' is preferred to 'vulnerable adult'.

A vulnerable adult, if seen by a doctor for a long enough period of time, is usually given an official clinical diagnosis of being a vulnerable adult. The purpose of such a diagnosis is to ensure that a relevant social work department, housing authority, etc. (if these exist in the relevant country) is/are able to enter the life of the vulnerable adult for assistive purposes.

If the vulnerable adult has been abused, which is typically the case for long-term vulnerability, trauma counselling and an assisted living facility may also be offered to the vulnerable adult by the relevant authority or authorities. Despite all this, some vulnerable adults are indeed long-term homeless.

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