The 22-year-old aide who helped the elderly woman with dinner and errands always seemed so nice, the kind of person who thoughtfully wiped eyeglasses clean for the woman's aging husband.

But when the great-grandmother opened her bank statements, she immediately knew something was wrong. Hundreds of dollars were missing.

"Elder abuse -- I never heard of it before -- that's what it was," said the 78-year-old victim, who asked not to be named. "I've always been so trusting of people."

A growing number of Utahns are victims of abuse at a time when money for Adult Protective Services, part of the state division that protects vulnerable seniors and disabled adults, is growing ever more scarce. The number of cases has increased more than 20 percent in the past year.

Last spring, lawmakers cut investigators' budget by $731,000 or about 22 percent. Until recently, lawmakers were considering another 5 percent cut -- though now it appears the slimmed-down budget may stay intact.

"It's critical to us to protect what we have," said Nels Holmgren, director of the Division of Aging and Adult Services. "A lot of the issues we deal with fall outside the law enforcement scope, so in a lot of situations APS is the only option."

Investigator Wakely Chee has seen his load double in his two years on the job, reducing the amount of time he has to give to each case. While recently responding to a complaint about financial exploitation of a 38-year-old developmentally disabled man, Chee discovered the man's heat had been turned off. A roach was in the oven. Bags of laundry sat neglected.

"He informed me that one of the staff members from the contracted company would come sit on the couch, smoke a cigarette and watch TV," said Chee, who alerted state Medicaid fraud investigators. An aide was supposed to assist the disabled man with budgeting and other tasks.

The man, who cannot read or write, owed nearly $2,000 on his heat bill.

Once a complaint arrives, whether it's from a neighbor, relative, doctor or others, it's typical for investigators to discover more than one crisis -- though laws aren't always being broken. Self-neglect, such as not showering or cleaning a home, is no crime, but investigators can connect individuals to mental health services or other resources that can help.

A few years ago, Adult Protective Services helped investigate the poor care of a disabled man, leading to criminal charges, said Robert Steed, director of the Medicaid fraud unit at the Attorney General's office. The man had essentially starved, dropping from more than 200 lbs. to 110 lbs. in a year. Malnutrition played a role in his death after a surgery.

The man had been cared for by a minimally trained worker for as many as 110 hours a week.

Diane Stewart, director of Adult Protective Services, attributes the case load growth in part to the public becoming more aware of elder abuse. The recession may also play a role. Last year, 28 percent of the cases were financial exploitation compared to 20 percent in 2005. Such exploitation includes stealing from someone's home and taking cash, acts typically committed by family members.

Earlier this week, the great-grandmother stood in her kitchen describing the alleged crimes while the show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" played on TV. Though she and her husband will soon mark 50 years of marriage, he suffers from Alzheimer's disease and lives at a nearby nursing home.

When their young aide stopped showing up, the elderly woman learned she had gone into rehabilitation for drug abuse. Only then did the victim notice she was missing 50 pills of Lortab. About $10,000 was gone from her accounts, thanks to altered checks and debit card abuse.

The theft had taught her that she was perhaps more vulnerable than she realized.

"I think I should be a little more aware of things," the great-grandmother said. "Probably a little paranoid."

jlyon@sltrib.com