To report elder abuse in Alabama, contact:

• Alabama Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (800) 458-7214
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (800) 458-7214

The Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS), along with the Long Term Care Ombudsman program, operates an elder abuse program that aims to prevent sexual, financial, and physical elder abuse and neglect.

There are two agencies that are responsible for investigating the occurrence or allegation of elder abuse. These agencies are the Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Bureau of Health Provider Standards (BHPS).

All reports of elder abuse, or suspected elder abuse, taken in by ADSS will be immediately reported to the Alabama Department of Human Resources and BHPS.

To find a local agency on aging in your area, call 1(800) AGELINE or 1(800) 243-5463.

Common Characteristics of Elder Abuse Victims in Alabama include:

• Usually female, over 75 years old
• Many times, require assistance with daily activities
• Deprived of visitations or prevented from leaving the area

Common Characteristics of Abusers include:

• Blaming victim for financial hardships as a result of unemployment and/or caring for the elderly victim
• Often depends on the elderly victim for a place to stay and/or for money
• History of emotional or physical abuse with family members (spouse and/or children)
• Lacking the knowledge to care for the elder

Reporting elder abuse in Alabama can be kept confidential.

• Alaska Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (800) 730-6393; Outside of Alaska – (907) 334-4483
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (800) 478-9996; Outside of Alaska/Anchorage Location – (907) 269-3666
• Reports can also be made via e-mail by completing the following form and sending it to the e-mail address located on the bottom of the form. Click here for the form.

Alaska’s Adult Protective Services is designed to prevent or stop harm from occurring to elderly men and women. Types of harm include abandonment, physical or mental abuse, exploitation (aka financial abuse), neglect or self neglect.

Although anyone can report elder abuse, some of those required to report include physicians/licensed health care providers, pharmacists, police officers and village health aides.

As of March 2009, there were just 15 nursing homes in Alaska. There were as many as 1,000 cases of elder abuse (includes nursing homes) reported in the 2006 fiscal year, based on the Adult Protection Services figures first reported by KTVA news in Alaska.

To report elder abuse in Arizona, contact:

• Arizona Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (877) 767-2385; TDD (877) 815-8390
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (877) 767-2385

According to azag.gov, Arizona elder abuse is defined as either one of the following:

• Abuse
  • sexual abuse or sexual assault
  • unreasonable confinement
  • injury caused by negligent acts or omissions
  • intentional infliction of physical harm
• Neglect
  • Deprivation of food, water, medication, medical services, shelter, cooling, heating, or other services necessary to maintain minimum physical or mental health.
• Exploitation
  • Taking advantage of an incapacitated or vulernable elderly for financial gain.

While anyone can report elder abuse, certain professionals such as doctors, dentists and law enforcement personnel are required by law to report elder abuse in Arizona.

Reports can be made anonymously by calling the number listed above.

——-

Arizona Counties:

Arizona Cities include (not limited to):

Apache Junction, Avondale, Bullhead City, Casa Grande, Casas Adobes, Catalina Foothills, Chandler, Drexel Heights, Flagstaff, Fortuna Foothills, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Glendale, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, Mesa, Nogales, Oro Valley, Peoria, Phoenix, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Scottsdale, Sierra Vista, Sun City, Sun City West, Surprise, Tempe, Tucson, Yuma

To report elder abuse in Arkansas, contact:

• Arkansas Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (800) 582-4887
  • In Pulaski County – (501) 682-8425
  • Report by Fax – (501) 682-1967
  • Report by E-mail – complaints.OLTC@arkansas.gov
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (800) 332-4443; Outside of Arkansas – (800) 482-8049
  • Report by E-mail – Carolyn.Singleton@arkansas.gov

Arkansas’ Adult Protection Services provides protection for endangered and impaired elders from abuse due to the mental or physical inability of the elder to take care of himself or herself. If the elder is a resident of a long-term care facility such as a nursing home or assisted living center, it is the primary responsibility of the facility to provide adequate care of the elders.

A majority of cases reported to the Adult Protection Services in Arkansas involves self-neglect. Although anyone can report elder abuse or nursing home abuse, those required by law to report these crimes include medical personnel such as doctors, nurses and dentists, government personnel including law enforcement officers and fireman, and employees of financial institutions.

——-

Counties Include:

Cities Covered Include (not limited to):

Benton, Bentonville, Conway, El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Jacksonville, Jonesboro, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Paragould, Pine Bluff, Rogers, Russellville, Sherwood, Springdale, Texarkana, Van Buren, West Memphis

To report elder abuse in California:

• California Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care -- (800) 231-4024
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse - (888) 436-3600

In addition to the number listed above, the Bureau of Medi-cal Fraud and Elder Abuse allows reports to be submitted online. Click here for the link to report elder abuse via e-mail.

Nursing Home Abuse in California

There are over 1,200 nursing homes in California. The state estimates that nearly 43% of California’s elder population will use a nursing home at one point in their lives. A study by the United States General Accounting Office reported that one in three nursing homes were cited for “serious or potentially life-threatening” problems in 1998.

Report any suspicions of elder abuse immediately.

What are the types of abuses?

• Financial -- Improperly assuming an elder’s identity or theft or embezzlement of money or real property constitutes as financial elder abuse in California.
  • Common indicators include:
    • Unusual bank account activity
    • Unauthorized credit card use
    • Change of will, trust or deed
• Physical -- This form of abuse includes, but is not limited to, hitting, spitting and biting of an elder.
  • Common indicators include:
    • Bruises or discoloration of the skin
    • Unexplainable bone fractures
    • Wounds
• Neglect -- Failure to provide adequate daily necessities such as personal hygiene, medical care, food and water are some items that California constitutes as neglect.
  • Common symptoms include:
    • Poor personal hygiene
    • Unusual drop in weight
    • Dehydration
• Emotional -- Verbal or non-verbal assaults made directly or indirectly to an elder. Common assaults include yelling, threatening, intimidating and confinement.
  • Common symptoms include:
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Fear of others
    • Hopelessness

Where can you find help?

In addition to the contact information listed above, you can also report elder abuse to the following local California regions:

• Los Angeles County -- (213) 974-3501
• Orange County -- (714) 834-3636
• Riverside County -- (909) 955-5400
• San Bernardino County -- (909) 387-6607
• San Diego County -- (619) 531-4040
• San Francisco County -- (415) 553-1752

————-

California Counties:

Alameda, Alpine, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, Yuba

To report elder abuse in Colorado:

• Colorado Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (800) 773-1366
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (800) 773-1366

Nursing Home Abuse in Colorado

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has a number of tips, that heavily revolve around open communication, to help prevent elder abuse in nursing homes.

The department suggests that those who witness anything wrong with the Colorado nursing home immediately address the problem with the appropriate staff members. Additionally, the department also suggests that people develop solid relationships with the staff that provides care for the elder.

If the problem continues, or if the elder is injured or has a serious risk of being injured, a formal complaint with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment to report elder abuse is warranted.

Contact your local Adult Protective Services to report elder and nursing home abuse and neglect in Colorado:

To report elder abuse in Connecticut:

• Connecticut Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (860) 424-5241
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (888) 385-4255

Many elders in Connecticut are unable to take care of themselves and are sometimes abused or exploited. Connecticut’s Department of Social Services are responsible for protecting elders over the age of 60 from abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.

Certain medical professionals, members of law enforcement and nursing home staff are required by law to report any suspicion of elder abuse immediately.

If you suspect elder abuse or neglect, file a report with protective services in the appropriate area listed below:

North Central Region

Manchester Area (860) 647-5914

New Britain Area (860) 612-3565

Windham Area (860) 465-3550

Hartford Area (860) 723-1003

Southwestern Region

Middletown Area (860) 704-3046

New Haven Area (203) 974-8027

Norwich/New London Area (860) 886-0521

Western Region

Bridgeport Area (203) 551-2701

Danbury Area (203) 207-8900

Stamford Area (203) 251-9392

Torrington Area (860) 496-6950

Waterbury Area (203) 597-4141

Reporting Elder Abuse in Delaware

The state of Delaware has two ways to report elder abuse, neglect or exploitation.

1. If the elder does not live in a long term care facility, file a report with Delaware’s Adult Protection Services at (800) 223-9074




2. If the elder is a resident of a long term care facility such as an assisted living center or nursing home, report elder abuse to the Division of Long Term Care Residents Program:
   1. Main/New Castle County Office – (877) 453-0012
   2. Kent and Sussex County Office – (302) 424-8600

To report elder abuse in Florida:

• Florida Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (800) 962-2873
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (800) 962-2873

The Florida Elder Abuse Hot-line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Florida law requires that any individual who is aware of elder abuse, neglect or exploitation reports it to appropriate authorities.

The types of abuse to report include financial, emotional and physical elder abuse.  Additionally, neglect, whether it’s self-neglect or neglect by a caregiver, must also be reported.  Caregivers can be a family members or an employee of a long-term care facility such as a nursing home or an assisted living center.

Common symptoms of physical abuse include:

• Bruises/discoloration of the skin
• Poor personal hygiene
• Unexplained injuries
• Malnutrition

Common symptoms of emotional abuse include:

• Depression
• Withdrawal
• Hopelessness

Common indicators of financial elder abuse include:

• Unusual bank account activity
• Unpaid bills

To report elder abuse in Georgia:

• Georgia Nursing Home Elder Abuse or Long Term Care – (800) 878-6442; Metro-Atlanta Area (404) 657-5728
• Domestic/Community Elder Abuse – (888) 774-0152; Metro-Atlanta Area (404) 657-5250

According to Georgia government officials, elder abuse is one of the most under-reported crimes in the state.  Many victims of abuse are unaware that they are being abused or are too afraid to report it.

Nursing Home Abuse

Any nursing home-related abuse in Georgia can be reported online by clicking here.  Anonymous reports can only be made by calling the number listed above.

Who is required to report elder abuse?

While you are strongly encouraged to take a stand and report any suspicion of abuse, neglect or exploitation, the following individuals are required by law to report abuse:

• Health care professionals
• Employees of financial institutions
• Law enforcement personnel

Georgia’s Definitions on Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

Abuse - The most common types of abuse include physical abuse, psychological abuse and sexual abuse.  Each type involves some sort of physical pain or injury, mental anguish or deprivation of daily necessities such as food and water.

Neglect – Neglect can be either self-neglect or neglect by others.  This is the failure to provide for needed services, services that would physically or mentally harm the elder.

Exploitation- Common types of exploitation are financial and consumer fraud.  This is the illegal or improper use of an elder’s resources, such as money or real estate, for personal or financial gain.