2015 Arkansas Code
Title 5 - Criminal Offenses
Subtitle 3 - Offenses Involving Families, Dependents, Etc.
Chapter 28 - Abuse of Adults
Subchapter 1 - General Provisions
§ 5-28-101 - Definitions.

As used in this chapter:

(1) "Abuse" means:

(A) Any purposeful and unnecessary physical act that inflicts pain on or causes injury to an endangered person or an impaired person;

(B) Any purposeful or demeaning act that a reasonable person would believe subjects an endangered person or an impaired person, regardless of age, ability to comprehend, or disability, to ridicule or psychological injury in a manner likely to provoke fear or alarm;

(C) Any purposeful threat that a reasonable person would find credible and nonfrivolous to inflict pain on or cause injury to an endangered person or an impaired person except in the course of medical treatment or for justifiable cause; or

(D) With regard to any adult long-term care facility resident by a caregiver, any purposeful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish;

(2) "Adult maltreatment" means adult abuse, exploitation, neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse;

(3) "Caregiver" means a related or unrelated person, owner, agent, high managerial agent of a public or private organization, or a public or private organization that has the responsibility for the protection, care, or custody of an adult endangered person or an adult impaired person as a result of assuming the responsibility voluntarily, by contract, through employment, or by order of the court;

(4) "Endangered person" means:

(A) An adult who:

(i) Is found to be in a situation or condition that poses an imminent risk of death or serious bodily harm to the adult; and

(ii) Demonstrates a lack of capacity to comprehend the nature and consequences of remaining in that situation or condition; or

(B) A long-term care facility resident who:

(i) Is found to be in a situation or condition which poses an imminent risk of death or serious bodily harm to the person; and

(ii) Demonstrates a lack of capacity to comprehend the nature and consequences of remaining in that situation or condition;

(5) "Exploitation" means:

(A) The illegal or unauthorized use or management of an an adult endangered person's or an adult impaired person's funds, assets, or property or the use of an adult endangered person's or an adult impaired person's, power of attorney, or guardianship for the profit or advantage of the actor or another person; or

(B) Misappropriation of property of an adult long-term care facility resident which means the deliberate misplacement, exploitation, or wrongful, temporary, or permanent use of an adult long-term care facility resident's belongings or money without the adult long-term care facility resident's consent;

(6) "Imminent danger to health or safety" means a situation in which death or severe bodily injury could reasonably be expected to occur without intervention;

(7) (A) "Impaired person" means a person eighteen (18) years of age or older who as a result of mental or physical impairment is unable to protect himself or herself from abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and as a consequence of this inability to protect himself or herself is endangered.

(B) For purposes of this chapter, a long-term care facility resident is presumed to be an "impaired person";

(8) "Long-term care facility" means:

(A) A nursing home;

(B) A residential care facility;

(C) A post-acute head injury retraining and residential facility;

(D) Any facility that provides long-term medical or personal care;

(E) An intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities; or

(F) An assisted-living facility;

(9) "Long-term care facility resident" means a person, regardless of age, living in a long-term care facility;

(10) "Long-term care facility resident maltreatment" means abuse, exploitation, neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse of a long-term care facility resident;

(11) "Neglect" means:

(A) An act or omission by an endangered person or an impaired person, for example, self-neglect; or

(B) A purposeful act or omission by a caregiver responsible for the care and supervision of an adult endangered person or an adult impaired person that constitutes negligently failing to:

(i) Provide necessary treatment, rehabilitation, care, food, clothing, shelter, supervision, or medical services to an adult endangered person or an adult impaired person;

(ii) Report a health problem or a change in a health problem or a change in the health condition of an adult endangered person or an adult impaired person to the appropriate medical personnel;

(iii) Carry out a prescribed treatment plan; or

(iv) Provide a good or service necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness as defined in regulations promulgated by the Office of Long-Term Care of the Division of Medical Services of the Department of Human Services to an adult long-term care facility resident;

(12) "Physical injury" means the:

(A) Impairment of a physical condition; or

(B) Infliction of substantial pain;

(13) "Serious bodily harm" means:

(A) Physical abuse;

(B) Sexual abuse;

(C) Physical injury; or

(D) Serious physical injury as defined in this chapter;

(14) "Serious physical injury" means physical injury to an endangered person or an impaired person that:

(A) Creates a substantial risk of death; or

(B) Causes:

(i) Protracted disfigurement;

(ii) Protracted impairment of health; or

(iii) Loss or protracted impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ; and

(15) "Sexual abuse" means deviate sexual activity, sexual contact, or sexual intercourse, as those terms are defined in § 5-14-101, with another person who is incapable of consent because he or she is:

(A) Mentally defective, as defined in § 5-14-101;

(B) Mentally incapacitated, as defined in § 5-14-101; or

(C) Physically helpless, as defined in § 5-14-101.