Elder Abuse in Las Vegas: Reporting, Penalties & Lawsuits

If you suspect elder abuse in Las Vegas, call 911 when someone is in immediate danger and otherwise report it to Clark County Adult Protective Services at (702) 486-6930 or through the state’s online intake form.¹ Nevada treats the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a person 60 or older as a felony that can carry up to 20 years in prison, and it gives victims the right to sue for double their actual damages.

How to Report in Las Vegas

Adult Protective Services (APS) is the main intake point for non-emergencies. The Clark County office takes calls at (702) 486-6930, and the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division runs an online form for reporting suspected mistreatment of adults 18 and older.² If you are outside Clark County or unsure which office covers the person you’re worried about, the national Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 can route your call.

You do not need proof. A reasonable suspicion is enough, and an incomplete report is better than none. Try to include:

The older person’s full name, age, and address
The name and address of anyone responsible for their care
A description of what you’ve seen, including any visible injuries
Dates and circumstances of specific incidents
Any history of prior injuries or concerns

Once a report comes in, Nevada law requires the investigating agency to begin looking into it within three working days.³ Investigators may coordinate with police for a welfare check, interview the older person, and look at their living conditions before deciding on further action.

Who Must Report, and Who Is Protected for Reporting

Nevada doesn’t leave reporting to personal judgment for people who work with older adults. Under NRS 200.5093, mandatory reporters include doctors, dentists, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, paramedics, social workers, law enforcement officers, coroners, home care providers, employees of care facilities, hospice workers, and funeral home employees, among others. They must report as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 24 hours after they have reason to believe mistreatment has occurred. Knowingly and willfully failing to report is a misdemeanor.⁴ A Nevada misdemeanor carries up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.⁵

Anyone else can file a voluntary report. You do not need to be on the mandatory list, and you do not need to be certain. Under NRS 200.5096, anyone who reports in good faith or helps with the investigation is immune from both civil and criminal liability, with the only exception being someone who actually took part in the abuse.³ That immunity holds even if investigators ultimately find no evidence of mistreatment.

What Nevada Counts as Elder Abuse

NRS 200.5092 sets the definitions that drive every elder abuse case in the state. An “older person” is anyone 60 or older. A “vulnerable person” is an adult whose physical or mental condition limits their ability to carry out normal daily activities, and the same protections apply to both groups.⁶

The statute recognizes five forms of mistreatment:

Abuse: willfully inflicting pain or injury, depriving someone of food or shelter, causing emotional anguish through threats or controlling behavior, or nonconsensual sexual contact.
Neglect: a caregiver’s failure to provide food, shelter, clothing, or services needed for the person’s physical or mental health.
Exploitation: using deception, intimidation, or a position of trust such as power of attorney or guardianship to take someone’s money or property with intent to permanently deprive them of it.
Isolation: blocking visitors, mail, or phone calls, or restraining the person to cut off contact with others.
Abandonment: deserting the person in an unsafe manner, or withdrawing necessary assistance, by someone with a legal duty of care.

The definitions apply whether the mistreatment happens at home, in a care facility, or anywhere else.⁶

Warning Signs to Watch For

Physical abuse often leaves visible marks: unexplained bruises, broken bones, welts, rope marks, or injuries at different stages of healing. Broken eyeglasses and signs of being restrained are red flags, as are lab results showing medication overdoses or underuse of prescribed drugs. Pay attention when a caregiver refuses to let visitors speak with the older person alone.⁷

Neglect shows up in the body and the home. Dehydration, malnutrition, untreated bedsores, and poor hygiene are classic signs. The environment may be filthy, lack heat or running water, or have soiled bedding. Unattended health problems and unpaid medical bills despite adequate resources point the same way.⁷

Financial exploitation is the hardest to spot from the outside. Watch for sudden changes in bank accounts, unauthorized ATM withdrawals, abrupt changes to a will, unexplained transfers of assets, or bills going unpaid when the person has the money to cover them.⁷ These patterns often appear before any other form of abuse is noticed.

Criminal Penalties Under Nevada Law

Nevada treats elder abuse as a felony-level offense in most circumstances. Penalties under NRS 200.5099 scale with the type of conduct, prior offenses, and the harm done.

Abuse and Neglect

A first offense is either a category C felony or a gross misdemeanor, at the court’s discretion. A gross misdemeanor carries up to 364 days in county jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both. A second or subsequent offense is a category B felony with 2 to 6 years in state prison. When the abuse or neglect causes substantial bodily or mental harm or death, it is a category B felony carrying 2 to 20 years regardless of prior offenses.⁸

Exploitation

Penalties for financial exploitation depend on the dollar amount:

Less than $650: category C felony or gross misdemeanor (up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine).
$650 to under $5,000: category B felony, 2 to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
$5,000 or more: category B felony, 2 to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $25,000, or both.

Second and subsequent exploitation offenses carry harsher penalties at every tier.⁸

Protection Orders

When the abuser is a spouse, former spouse, relative by blood or marriage, or someone else the victim has a qualifying domestic relationship with, you can seek a protection order through the Clark County Eighth Judicial District Court. NRS 33.018 defines domestic violence to include battery, assault, coercion, sexual assault, stalking, and other harmful conduct within those relationships.⁹

Under NRS 33.020, a temporary protection order can be granted with or without notice to the abuser, and the court must rule on the request within one judicial day of filing. An extended order requires notice and a hearing.¹⁰ These orders commonly bar the abuser from the victim’s home or workplace. Violating one is a criminal offense that can lead to immediate arrest.

If the abuser is not a family member or domestic partner, protection orders under the domestic violence statutes may not apply. In those situations, APS and law enforcement are the primary avenues.

Civil Lawsuit for Double Damages

Victims have their own remedy. Under NRS 41.1395, an older or vulnerable person who suffers personal injury, death, or financial loss from abuse, neglect, or exploitation can sue the responsible person for twice their actual damages. If the court finds the abuser acted with recklessness, fraud, or malice, it must also order the abuser to pay the victim’s attorney’s fees and costs.¹¹ A civil case can run alongside or independently of any criminal prosecution, which matters most in exploitation cases where recovering drained accounts is the main goal.

If the Abuse Is Happening in a Care Facility

When the setting is a nursing home or assisted living facility, you have a second channel in addition to APS. Every state operates a Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program under the Older Americans Act to investigate complaints from residents, from inadequate hygiene and slow response times to physical abuse and improper discharge. Complaints are kept confidential unless you give permission to share them, and the programs investigated more than 205,000 complaints nationally in 2024.¹² Filing with the Ombudsman does not stop you from filing with APS; the two processes are independent.

1
Aging and Disability Services Division. Nevada Adult Protective Services
2
Aging and Disability Services Division. Report Suspected Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, Isolation or Abandonment of Vulnerable Adults 18 Years or Older
3
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 200 – Crimes Against the Person
4
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 200.5093 – Report of Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation, Isolation or Abandonment of Older Person or Vulnerable Person
5
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 193 – Criminality Generally
6
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 200.5092 – Definitions
7
U.S. Department of Justice. Red Flags of Elder Abuse
8
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 200.5099 – Penalties
9
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 33.018 – Acts Which Constitute Domestic Violence
10
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code 33.020 – Requirements for Issuance of Temporary and Extended Orders
11
Nevada Legislature. Nevada Code NRS 41.1395 – Action for Damages for Injury or Loss Suffered by Older Person or Vulnerable Person
12
National Consumer Voice. About the Ombudsman Program