Everyone deserves to have relationships that are free from domestic violence. If the danger is not immediate, but you suspect that abuse has occurred or is occurring, tell someone. Relate your concerns to local adult protective services, the long-term care ombudsman, or the police. When you see suspicions of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, it's easy to think that “someone must do something.
Let that someone be you. Use the resources below to find out who to call. Anyone in Ohio can report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of another person (or themselves). There is no cost to report and you can file a report anonymously.
There are no penalties for complaints made in good faith. Your action could save someone's life. In states whose statutes criminalize elder abuse, there may be a requirement to report suspected abuse to a law enforcement agency. Although APS is generally the first to respond to reports of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation, many other agencies and nonprofits work to protect vulnerable seniors.
Laws in most states require professions that help on the frontline, such as doctors and home health care providers, to report suspected abuse or neglect. Some of the most common forms of elder abuse include verbal abuse, physical abuse, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, and neglect. In Ohio, the law requires several types of professionals to report suspected abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older persons.
