Your Guide to Nursing Home Abuse & Prevention
Millions of elderly adults live in nursing home facilities.
Every one of them deserves to feel safe, protected, and respected.
Millions of elderly adults live in nursing home facilities.
Every one of them deserves to feel safe, protected, and respected.
The vast majority of nursing homes are a safe and comfortable living option for seniors who find themselves in need of around-the-clock care. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), around 1.2 million folks live in one of the more than 15,000 certified nursing homes.
However, just because their mission statements are based on care, that doesn’t mean every nursing home is immune from abuse or neglect. If you find yourself uncomfortable just sitting on your hands and feel like you need to advocate for a resident, you may be wondering, “Can you file an anonymous nursing home abuse report?” The short answer to that question is yes. Keep reading, where we’ll address how to do so.
The short answer to the question posed above is yes, you can generally file a nursing home abuse report anonymously.
If you witness significant signs of nursing home abuse, the first type of anonymous grievance you can file is one directly with the nursing home in question. There should be a hotline set up by the facility for this very purpose. They might also have an online portal where you can submit an anonymous report.
You can also obtain a printed grievance document, fill it out, and drop it off at the facility without signing your name. That would put them on notice, but it might not be enough for the action to stop.
Every state has a version of adult protection services. For instance, in Kentucky, this is referred to as the Adult Protection Branch. In Illinois, the Adult Protection Services (APS) are part of the Illinois Department on Aging. The Ohio adult protection services fall under the Department of Job and Family Services. And in Missouri, you can reach out to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
All of these agencies are tasked with taking in and investing reports of neglect at any state facility. Additionally, they provide support services to elderly victims of abuse. Each of these agencies may have anonymous tiplines and accept walk-ins, thus allowing for anonymous written reports.
You can contact your local law enforcement and report the neglect issue. That can be with a phone call or online message. That could trigger an on-site visit to investigate the matter. Because you would probably want to follow up with the agency, you might not be able to remain anonymous, but you can ask for confidentiality.
At the federal level, The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for setting the regulations that manage the safety of nursing home patients. They can launch an investigation into any nursing home that receives federal funds, which would be many of them. Making anonymous reports through their hotline or email may be an option.
Like adult protection services, each state has a version of an ombudsman, according to the National Consumer Voice for Long-Term Care. This advocate receives reports of abuse and disseminates the right course of action to investigate the neglect. You can likely report any abusive or neglectful behavior at nursing homes to one of these agencies.
We have additional details about reporting abuse to these and other agencies that you should read over.
Every city or county has a corresponding health department. Those would be the agencies that oversee the nursing homes in your community. You can file an abuse report online, over the phone or in person with those agencies – often anonymously.
One of the most effective ways to file an anonymous complaint about suspected nursing home abuse is to have a report go through an attorney. Once you retain the services of a lawyer, all communications you have with them can be confidential. They can take up the case and pursue it both as a potential criminal matter and a personal injury issue. At the very least, a consultation with an experienced attorney can provide you with support and guidance on the best way forward.
This website was created and is maintained by the legal team at Thomas Law Offices. Our attorneys are experienced in a wide variety of nursing home abuse and neglect cases and represent clients on a nationwide level. Call us or fill out the form to the right to tell us about your potential case. We will get back to you as quickly as possible.
866-351-2504