If you believe an adult in Maryland is being abused, neglected, or financially exploited and cannot protect themselves, call Adult Protective Services in Maryland at 1-800-917-7383. The program is run through local departments of social services and investigates reports involving adults who lack the physical or mental capacity to meet their own needs.1Maryland Department of Human Services. Adult Protective Services You do not have to be certain, and you do not have to give your name.
How to Make a Report
Call the statewide hotline at 1-800-917-7383, or contact the department of social services in the county where the adult lives.1Maryland Department of Human Services. Adult Protective Services Reports can be made by phone, in writing, or in person.
Have as much detail ready as you can:
- The adult’s name, address, and any information about who lives with them or cares for them.
- What you have seen or been told, with dates and specifics where possible.
- Who you think is causing the harm, and their relationship to the adult.
- Any medical conditions or limitations that keep the adult from protecting themselves.
Reports can be anonymous. If you do give your name, Maryland law keeps the identity of reporters confidential, though a court can order disclosure later if a case reaches litigation and due process requires it.2Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 14-309 – Persons Immune From Civil Liability
Who Counts as a Vulnerable Adult
Maryland law defines a vulnerable adult as someone who lacks the physical or mental capacity to provide for their own daily needs.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 14-101 – Definitions Age does not matter. What matters is the gap between what the person needs and what they can do for themselves.
The category is deliberately broad. It reaches people with dementia or developmental disabilities, adults with severe mental illness, someone recovering from a stroke who cannot manage their own finances, and a younger person with a traumatic brain injury who depends entirely on a caregiver. If the adult in question is competent and simply making choices others disagree with, APS is not the right tool.
What APS Investigates
APS handles four categories of harm.
Abuse. Physical harm, sexual contact, or emotional mistreatment by a caregiver, family member, or anyone else. Hitting, unnecessary restraint, intimidation, and threats meant to control behavior all qualify.
Neglect. A caregiver’s failure to provide basics like food, hygiene, medical attention, and safe living conditions. Leaving a bedridden person without repositioning, failing to fill prescriptions, or allowing dangerous conditions in the home are common examples.
Self-neglect. When a vulnerable adult cannot or will not care for themselves to the point of serious risk. This might look like severe malnutrition, untreated medical conditions, or hazardous squalor. These cases are among the hardest APS handles, because they sit between personal freedom and real danger.
Exploitation. Misuse of the adult’s money, property, or assets. Unauthorized bank withdrawals, forged checks, pressure to change a will, and caregivers charging for services they never delivered all fit here.
When to Call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Instead
If your concern involves a resident of a nursing home or assisted living facility, Maryland’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman program may be the better first call, at 1-800-243-3425. Ombudsmen advocate specifically for facility residents and investigate care quality, resident rights, and facility conditions. APS and the Ombudsman program coordinate, but the Ombudsman has authority and access inside long-term care settings that APS does not.
Mandatory Reporters and Legal Protection for Reporting
Maryland requires health practitioners, police officers, and human service workers who believe a vulnerable adult has been abused, neglected, or exploited to notify the local department of social services.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 14-302 – Reporting Hospital staff must also inform the head of their institution immediately. Mandatory reporters must act as soon as they have reason to believe mistreatment has occurred, not after they have confirmed it themselves.
Everyone else may report but is not required to.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 14-302 – Reporting Neighbors, friends, bank tellers who notice suspicious withdrawals, and family members who see warning signs during visits can all call.
Anyone who reports in good faith is immune from civil liability, even if the investigation does not confirm mistreatment.5Justia. Maryland Code Courts and Judicial Proceedings 5-622 – Immunity From Liability Fabricating allegations is a different matter and can expose the reporter to consequences under other laws.
What Happens After You Report
Once APS accepts a report, statutory deadlines start. For non-emergency situations, the local department must begin its investigation within five working days and finish within 60 days. When the report indicates an emergency, meaning the adult faces immediate danger, the investigation must start within 24 hours and be completed within 10 days.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 14-303 – Investigation
Investigators can show up at the adult’s home, assisted living facility, or nursing home without advance notice. They can speak with the adult privately, away from caregivers or family, to hear their account without filtering. If someone blocks access, APS can bring in law enforcement. In an emergency, an officer who agrees the situation qualifies can arrange transport to a healthcare facility.7Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Family Law 14-304 – Emergencies
Investigations often reach beyond APS staff. In financial exploitation cases, investigators may request bank records, review power of attorney documents, or examine property transfers. In medical neglect cases, they may consult physicians or pull health records. Complex cases can involve law enforcement, the Attorney General’s office, or forensic accountants.
At the end, APS decides whether the report is substantiated. A substantiated finding triggers protective measures. An unsubstantiated finding does not necessarily mean nothing happened; it means the evidence did not meet the required standard. APS investigations are civil. They do not themselves produce criminal charges, but APS can refer cases for prosecution.
What APS Can and Cannot Do
A vulnerable adult keeps the right to refuse APS services unless a court has determined the person lacks the capacity to make informed decisions. APS cannot enter someone’s life uninvited or move them out of their home without consent or a court order.
This is the part families often find hardest. APS investigators sometimes confirm that a person is living in dangerous conditions, offer help, and get turned away. If the adult understands the risks and still declines, that decision generally stands. Only when a court finds the person incapable of informed decision-making can APS proceed over their objection, usually through guardianship.
People accused of mistreatment also have rights. They are entitled to know what has been alleged and to respond. If the case moves to court, whether through a guardianship petition or a protective order request, the accused person can be represented by counsel and can challenge the evidence.
Protective Measures and Criminal Consequences
When an investigation confirms mistreatment, APS matches its response to the severity of the situation and tries to keep interventions no larger than necessary. Options include in-home support services, medical or mental health treatment, help securing benefits like Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid, and connections to community resources such as meal delivery or transportation.
Serious cases call for stronger measures. APS can petition a court for emergency protective orders or ask for a temporary guardian when a vulnerable adult faces immediate risk and cannot make informed decisions. Emergency guardianship is a high bar, because it removes fundamental decision-making authority. In financial exploitation, APS may seek to freeze assets or refer the case to the Attorney General.
Maryland also has criminal statutes for abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver, family member, or household member. First-degree abuse or neglect is a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, and applies when the mistreatment causes death or serious physical injury or involves sexual abuse. These sentences run in addition to any other sentence arising from the same conduct, so someone convicted of both assault and vulnerable adult abuse based on the same incident faces penalties for both.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Criminal Law 3-604 – Abuse or Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult
Recovering Money After Financial Exploitation
The APS investigation is only the start when money has been taken. Recovery usually depends on whether the case is prosecuted.
In criminal cases, a judge can order restitution at sentencing to reimburse the victim for financial losses directly caused by the crime. Stolen funds, lost income, and counseling expenses can be included; pain and suffering cannot. A restitution order creates a lien against the offender’s property and remains enforceable for 20 years from the date of judgment plus any time the offender spends incarcerated.9U.S. Department of Justice. Restitution Process
When there is no criminal case, or restitution does not cover the loss, civil litigation is the alternative. The practical limit is that people who steal from vulnerable adults tend to spend the money quickly, and a judgment against someone with no assets is worth little. Before spending on a lawsuit, families should look honestly at whether anything remains to recover.