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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

adult protection en · NOUN

Etymology

From adult (“a fully grown human”) + protection (“the process of keeping someone safe”). The incontinence sense is a euphemism for keeping an adult safe from (protected against) accidents.

Meanings

  1. (uncountable) Policies and actions in place for the protection of (sometimes vulnerable) adults; adult safeguarding.
    • Adult protection is about being more aware and alert to potential situations of abuse. Having a good knowledge of the signs of abuse can enable you to think about whether a situation of abuse may be occurring. 2004, Frances Sussex, Peter Scourfield, Social Care: Level 4, Heinemann, →ISBN, page 366:
    • I am not in favor of the block grant approach to social services. I feel that the elderly will take a second or third or fourth place seat to other special interest groups. The adult protection should be given priority status with child protection and other domestic violence concerns. 1981 March 23, Tim Cash, Abuse of Older Persons: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Human Services of the Select Committee on Aging, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 18:
    • The proper application of adult protection statutes to incompetent people will often be as dependent on thorough, fair, complete competency assessment as the imposition of guardianship is. In fact, some laws explicitly make incompetency a ground for intervention. 1994, Michel Silberfeld, Arthur Fish, When the Mind Fails: A Guide to Dealing with Incompetency, University of Toronto Press, →ISBN, page 129:
    • Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland without specific adult protection laws. Action on Elder Abuse said older people were "subject to a postcode lottery". "We have legislation to protect children from abuse and animals from cruelty," said the charity's deputy chief executive Veronica Gray. 2019 November 27, “Adult safeguarding in Northern Ireland 'not fit for purpose'”, in BBC news:
  2. (euphemistic, uncommon, uncountable) Adult incontinence wear, such as adult diapers, pads, diaper briefs or incontinence briefs.
    • The demand for incontinence garments will grow. Birth rates for babies have passed their peak, but the number of adults in high-risk ages for incontinence increases yearly. Babies are in diapers for less than thirty months; adult protection is sometimes required for a decade or longer. 1993, Judd H. Alexander, In Defense of Garbage, Bloomsbury Academic, →ISBN, page 61:
    • Adult protection isn't as big an issue for women, as they are more accustomed to using sanitary protection. 2012, Diana B. Denholm, “Toilet Issues”, in The Caregiving Wife's Handbook: Caring for Your Seriously Ill Husband, Turner Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 1 (of chapter):
    • For effective adult protection, there's nothing like new SERENITY Guards, available in Super and Regular. 1987 September 16, “Welcome news for every woman in search of effective adult protection”, in The Miami News, Special Advertising Section, page 5D:
    • Christina previously confessed that her multiple sclerosis diagnosis often left her unable to get to the bathroom in time and so she wears adult protection even when not suffering from food poisoning. 2024 April 24, Hannah Hargrave, “Christina Applegate details horrors of latest health crisis - 'I'm wearing diapers'”, in Hello!:
  3. (uncountable) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see adult, protection. (i.e. protection by adults)
    • All children need adult protection, but not all adults deserve to have children.