This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Every family situation is different, and you should consult with appropriate professionals about your specific circumstances.

Reporting Elder Abuse — Who to Call and What to Expect

You've realized that your parent is being abused. Financially, physically, or emotionally. Someone is taking advantage of your parent, and your parent is being harmed. You want to protect your parent, but you don't know who to call or what will happen if you do. You're worried about making things worse. You're worried about whether reporting will actually help or whether it will just create more problems.

Reporting elder abuse is not a simple process, and the outcomes are not always what you hope for. Some reports lead to intervention that stops the abuse. Some lead to investigations that don't result in action. Some lead to situations that get more complicated rather than simpler. You need to understand what you're doing before you do it and what you can realistically expect.

Understanding the Basics

Elder abuse is illegal in all states. It includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and abandonment. Each type of abuse is handled by different agencies and processes. Financial abuse might be handled by Adult Protective Services. Physical abuse might be handled by law enforcement. Medical neglect might be handled by healthcare providers or social services.

The process of reporting varies by state and by the type of abuse. In some states, certain professionals are mandated reporters, meaning they're required to report elder abuse if they suspect it. These might include healthcare providers, social workers, counselors, and others. If you're not a mandated reporter, reporting is optional but available.

When you report, the agency that receives the report investigates. They interview your parent, they interview the alleged abuser, they gather evidence. If they find abuse occurred, they work toward stopping it and protecting your parent. The level of intervention depends on the severity of the abuse and what the law allows.

Not all reported abuse results in criminal charges. Some results in civil orders like restraining orders. Some results in agency intervention like removing a caregiver or mandating services. Some results in no action because the investigation doesn't find sufficient evidence or because your parent doesn't consent to intervention and has capacity to refuse help.

Your Parent's Specific Situation

Is your parent in immediate danger? If yes, call 911. Don't wait to figure out the right agency to report to. Immediate safety is the priority.

Does your parent have legal capacity to make decisions? If your parent is cognitively intact and refusing help, intervention is harder. Your parent has the right to make poor decisions about their own care and finances. An adult with capacity can refuse intervention, even if that adult is being abused. If your parent lacks capacity, intervention is easier because your parent's wishes don't override the need for protection.

Is your parent willing to report the abuse or cooperate with an investigation? If your parent is protecting the abuser or denying the abuse, the investigation becomes harder. Some abusers are skilled at manipulating victims into defending them. Your parent might be in denial about what's happening.

Does your parent want help leaving the situation, or does your parent want things to stay the same but the abuse to stop? Those are different goals. Some parents want to stay in their current living situation but want the exploitation or mistreatment to stop. Others want to leave the situation entirely. Your parent's preference matters.

Are there other family members involved? Are there witnesses to the abuse? Is there physical evidence? The more corroborating evidence, the stronger the case.

Is the abuser a family member, a caregiver, a healthcare provider, or someone else? Different types of abusers call for different interventions. A family member taking money is different from a nursing home staff member failing to provide care.

Taking Next Steps

Determine which agency to report to. Adult Protective Services handles abuse in the home and mistreatment of adults generally. If your parent is in a facility like a nursing home or assisted living, the state health department or long-term care ombudsman might also be involved. If the abuse is criminal, law enforcement handles it. Start by calling Adult Protective Services for your parent's county or state.

Make the report. You can usually report by phone. You'll describe the situation, give your parent's information, and explain why you're concerned. Some states allow anonymous reporting. Some require your name. Be prepared to be specific about what you've observed or what your parent has told you.

Document everything before you report. Write down dates, times, descriptions of what happened, what your parent said, any evidence. Keep records of financial transactions if financial abuse is involved. This documentation helps the investigator.

Expect an investigation. The agency will contact your parent, your parent will be asked questions, the situation will be assessed. This might be uncomfortable. Your parent might be upset about being interviewed. The investigator might determine that the situation doesn't meet the legal threshold for abuse, or the investigation might confirm your concerns.

Understand that your parent might refuse intervention. If your parent has capacity and refuses help, the agency's options are limited. Your parent is an adult with the right to make their own decisions, even if those decisions seem unwise. This is one of the hardest parts of protecting an adult. You can't force them to accept help.

Provide information to the investigator. If you have concerns, share them. If you have documentation, provide it. If there are witnesses, give the investigator their information. The investigator is trying to determine whether abuse occurred. Help them have accurate information.

Be prepared that the process takes time. Investigations aren't quick. You might not get updates about what's happening. You might not know the outcome. This is intentional for privacy reasons, but it's frustrating when you're trying to protect your parent.

If the investigation finds abuse, be prepared for what intervention might look like. The abuser might be removed from your parent's home. A caregiver might be fired. Services might be ordered. A restraining order might be issued. Your parent might be removed from a harmful living situation. These interventions might disrupt your parent's life, which is why your parent might resist them even if the abuse is real.

If the investigation finds insufficient evidence, be prepared for that outcome. Maybe the investigator doesn't believe your parent's account. Maybe there's no corroborating evidence. Maybe your parent denies the abuse. The system doesn't always do what you want it to do.

If you're concerned that your parent is in a facility, you can also contact the state health department's long-term care ombudsman. These offices investigate complaints about nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

If the abuse is criminal, you can report it to law enforcement. Sexual abuse, physical abuse causing injury, theft, fraud might all be criminal. Law enforcement will investigate, and if they find sufficient evidence, charges might be filed.

Reporting elder abuse is the right thing to do if you believe your parent is being harmed. The process is imperfect, and the outcomes aren't always what you hope for. But reporting creates a paper trail, it alerts authorities, and sometimes it triggers intervention that protects your parent. Even when reporting doesn't result in your ideal outcome, it's usually worth doing.

How To Help Your Elders is an educational resource. We do not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. The information in this article is general in nature and may not apply to your specific situation. If you are concerned about a loved one's cognitive health or safety, consult with their healthcare provider or contact your local Area Agency on Aging for guidance and support.