To report suspected elder abuse to San Francisco Adult Protective Services, call the 24-hour hotline at (415) 355-6700 or toll-free at (800) 814-0009, or file a report through the APS online intake portal.1San Francisco Human Services Agency. Adult Protective Services You don’t need proof, you don’t need to be certain, and you don’t need to give your name. A reasonable suspicion is enough. A social worker will take the report, decide how quickly to respond, and keep your identity confidential.
How to Make the Report
The hotline runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it’s the fastest way to reach a social worker. The online portal is an alternative when the situation isn’t urgent.
When you call, try to have as much of the following as you can:
- The person’s name, age, and address or location.
- What you saw, heard, or suspect, with any dates and specifics you remember.
- Who you think may be causing the harm, and their relationship to the person.
- Any immediate safety concerns, such as injuries, lack of food or medication, or threats.
If you don’t have all of this, call anyway. The intake worker will take what you know and ask follow-up questions. The more specific your description, the easier it is to judge how urgent the response should be.
The state’s written reporting form is the Report of Suspected Dependent Adult/Elder Abuse, Form SOC 341.2California Department of Social Services. SOC 341 – Report of Suspected Dependent Adult/Elder Abuse If you’re a member of the public, you don’t need to fill it out. The form is for mandated reporters, who submit it as a written follow-up to their verbal report.
Who San Francisco APS Can Help
APS investigates reports involving two groups. The first is older adults. California law defines an “elder” as anyone 65 or older,3California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.27 – Elder but the California Department of Social Services extends APS eligibility to adults 60 and over.4California Department of Social Services. Adult Protective Services So if the person you’re worried about is 60 to 64, San Francisco APS will still take the report.
The second group is dependent adults: people between 18 and 64 whose physical or mental limitations make it hard to carry out normal activities or protect their own rights.5California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.23 – Dependent Adult This covers people with developmental disabilities and those whose capacity has declined from illness or age. The person does not have to live in a care facility.
One boundary to know: if the abuse is happening in a long-term care facility, the report goes to the local long-term care ombudsman program rather than APS.6California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15640 If you’re not sure, call APS anyway and they’ll route it.
What Counts as Abuse
California law recognizes several categories, and APS investigates all of them.7California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.07 – Abuse of an Elder or a Dependent Adult You don’t need to know which category fits before you call; this is to help you describe what you’ve seen.
Physical abuse includes assault, battery, unreasonable restraint, prolonged deprivation of food or water, sexual assault, and misuse of chemical or physical restraints.8California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 15610.63 – Physical Abuse It’s broader than hitting.
Neglect is a caregiver’s failure to provide the care a reasonable person in that role would provide: hygiene, food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, and protection from hazards.9California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.57 – Neglect Self-neglect falls under the same statute and applies when the person can’t meet their own basic needs because of cognitive decline, mental limitations, substance use, or chronic illness.
Financial abuse is taking, hiding, or keeping an older or dependent adult’s money or property through fraud, wrongful intent, or undue influence.10California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.30 – Financial Abuse Warning signs include unexplained large withdrawals, new names on bank accounts or property titles, sudden changes to a will or trust, and a caregiver who blocks access to financial records or gets defensive about spending.
Abandonment is deserting someone you had care or custody of under circumstances where a reasonable person would keep providing care.11California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.05 – Abandonment
Isolation covers deliberate acts that cut someone off from the outside world: blocking mail or phone calls, lying to visitors about the person’s availability, false imprisonment, and physical restraint to prevent visits.12California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15610.43 – Isolation These acts aren’t isolation when done on a doctor’s orders or in response to a genuine threat to property or safety.
Your Protections as a Reporter
California law shields people who report. Voluntary reporters cannot be held civilly or criminally liable for a report unless they knowingly made it up.13California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15634 Mandated reporters have the same immunity for required reports.
Your identity stays confidential. The reporting form includes a space for your name and contact information, but it is not disclosed to the person accused of abuse.2California Department of Social Services. SOC 341 – Report of Suspected Dependent Adult/Elder Abuse You can also report anonymously if you prefer, though leaving a way to reach you helps the investigator follow up.
If You’re a Mandated Reporter
Certain people are required by law to report. The list includes anyone who has assumed care or custody of an older or dependent adult (paid or unpaid), care custodians at health facilities and home care agencies, health practitioners, clergy, and employees of APS and law enforcement.14California Department of Social Services. Information for Mandated Reporters
If you’re mandated, call APS or local law enforcement immediately, or as soon as practically possible. Then submit Form SOC 341 as a written follow-up within two working days.2California Department of Social Services. SOC 341 – Report of Suspected Dependent Adult/Elder Abuse Failing to report is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. If the failure is willful and the victim suffers death or great bodily injury, the penalty rises to up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000.14California Department of Social Services. Information for Mandated Reporters
What Happens After You Call
An intake social worker screens every report to decide whether it meets the legal criteria for an investigation. If the report describes an immediate safety threat, APS makes an in-person response within 24 hours. Non-emergency reports get an initial contact within 10 days.15California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15763 If the situation doesn’t fit the legal definitions of abuse or neglect, APS may refer you to other community resources instead of opening a case.
In an open investigation, a social worker visits the person at home, interviews them privately when possible, and assesses risk. The worker then builds a safety plan, which can include in-home support services, medical care, legal help, or emergency housing.
APS is not law enforcement. When an investigation turns up suspected criminal conduct, state law requires APS to immediately notify local law enforcement with jurisdiction and follow up with a written report within two working days.6California Legislative Information. California Welfare and Institutions Code 15640 For financial abuse, APS first determines whether there’s reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct before cross-reporting.
One thing often surprises callers: a mentally competent adult can refuse any help APS offers. California law presumes adults have the capacity to make their own decisions, even risky ones, and APS has no authority on its own to remove someone from their home. If the person understands the situation and says no, APS cannot override that choice. The exception is when the person lacks the capacity to make informed decisions, and even then any intervention goes through a court process such as conservatorship rather than a unilateral APS decision. In most cases, social workers return, build trust, and keep offering services.
Restraining Orders as a Next Step
If the person being harmed wants legal protection, they or someone acting on their behalf can ask a California court for an elder or dependent adult abuse restraining order. The order can require the abuser to stay away, stop contacting the victim, and move out of a shared home. A court can also make findings about debts that resulted from financial abuse and issue orders against further isolation.16California Courts. Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Restraining Orders in California
There’s no filing fee to petition, respond to, or enforce one of these orders, and no fee for law enforcement to serve it.16California Courts. Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse Restraining Orders in California The San Francisco Superior Court’s self-help center can help with the paperwork, and the APS social worker on the case can connect the victim with legal resources as part of the broader safety plan.