TOPEKA — Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer is scheduled to address a Wednesday forum on adult abuse and government’s obligation to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

The forum, a project of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, begins at 1 p.m. at the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, 2910 SW Topeka Blvd., Topeka.

In the past year, DCF has logged about 16,000 reports of suspected neglect and abuse involving vulnerable adults, mostly frail seniors and people with disabilities.

According to DCF’s website, about 60 percent of the reports warranted investigation. Of these, more than 40 percent involved public officials, neighbors, friends or family members calling with concerns that someone in their community appeared unable to care for himself or herself.

The remaining categories: abuse, 20 percent; exploitation, 12 percent; fiduciary abuse, 8 percent; and non-self-neglect, 17 percent.

Peter Jouras, a Kansas City man whose elderly and disabled mother was exploited by her caregiver, also is scheduled to speak at the forum, which is free and open to the public.

In Kansas, DCF is charged with administering the state’s hotline (800-922-5330) for fielding reports of both adult and child abuse.