How to Report Elder Abuse in PA and What to Expect

To report elder abuse in PA, call the statewide Elder Abuse Helpline at 1-800-490-8505. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and connects you to the Area Agency on Aging in the county where the older adult lives.¹ You don’t need proof. Anyone with a reasonable belief that an older adult is being harmed or exploited can make a report, and you can do it anonymously.² If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first, then call the helpline.

Pennsylvania does not currently offer a general online portal for filing elder abuse reports. The phone line is the way in. When you call, the caseworker who answers takes down the details, and the law requires that phone reports be put into writing on the spot by the person receiving the call, so you won’t have to submit anything separately afterward.²

Who and What the Law Covers

Pennsylvania’s Older Adults Protective Services Act protects people aged 60 and older. It recognizes four categories of mistreatment:

Abuse: physical harm, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, sexual abuse, or a caretaker’s deliberate withholding of food, medication, or other necessities.
Neglect: a caretaker’s failure to provide essentials such as food, shelter, hygiene, or medical care when that failure creates a serious threat to health. Self-neglect, where an older adult can no longer care for themselves, also qualifies.
Exploitation: using an older adult’s money, property, or resources for someone else’s benefit without genuine informed consent. This covers unauthorized withdrawals, forged checks, misuse of a power of attorney, and scams.
Abandonment: a caretaker deserting an older adult they are responsible for.

An older adult can’t be found abused or neglected based solely on living conditions beyond their own or their caretaker’s control, such as low income or substandard housing.³ The threshold to call is “reasonable cause to believe” protective services are needed. Investigators sort out the rest.

What to Have Ready When You Call

Partial information is far better than no report. Caseworkers are trained to ask follow-up questions, so gaps in what you know shouldn’t stop you. If you can share the following, the investigation moves faster:

The older adult’s name, age, and address, so the local agency can locate them.
The suspected abuser’s name and relationship to the older adult, if known.
What you observed or learned, including specific incidents, dates, and locations. Note visible injuries, signs of malnourishment, unsanitary conditions, or unusual financial activity.
Names of others who may have witnessed the situation or who help with the older adult’s care.
Any immediate safety concerns, such as the older adult being left alone without food or medication.

Reporting Abuse in a Nursing Home or Care Facility

When the concern involves a licensed nursing home, personal care home, or assisted living facility, the helpline is still the right first call. It handles reports regardless of where the older adult lives.¹ Facility settings also open up two additional channels worth using.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health investigates care-quality complaints against nursing homes. Reach it at 1-800-254-5164, through its online complaint form, or by emailing c-ncomplai@pa.gov.⁴

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is a separate resource. Ombudsmen are independent advocates for residents of nursing homes, personal care homes, and similar facilities. They investigate complaints and help resolve issues that may not rise to abuse, including disputes over discharge or day-to-day care. You can request an ombudsman through the Department of Aging.⁵

What Happens After You File

The local Area Agency on Aging assigns your report to an Adult Protective Services caseworker. The investigation must begin within 72 hours. In emergencies, the law requires a judge to be available around the clock to issue protective orders, so intervention can happen faster when a delay would put the older adult at serious risk.⁶

The caseworker visits the older adult in person, assesses safety, and interviews anyone else with relevant information. The agency must make every reasonable effort to complete the investigation within 20 days.⁷ The report is then classified as substantiated or unsubstantiated. If abuse is confirmed, the agency builds a service plan, which may include in-home care, relocation, legal aid, or mental health services. Cases suggesting criminal conduct are referred to law enforcement.

Your Identity and Legal Protection

Reports, investigation records, and service plans are confidential. The release of information that would identify the reporter is prohibited unless the Secretary of Aging determines disclosure wouldn’t endanger you.⁸ In practice, the person you’re reporting will almost certainly never learn your name.

Anyone who reports or testifies in good faith is immune from civil and criminal liability arising from the report.² Employers and other parties are barred from taking discriminatory, retaliatory, or disciplinary action against a reporter, and the law separately prohibits intimidation aimed at discouraging reports. A person who retaliates or intimidates can be sued for triple the actual damages or $5,000, whichever is higher.

Warning Signs That Should Prompt a Call

People often hesitate because they aren’t sure what they’re seeing counts. A few patterns investigators see regularly:

Physical: unexplained bruises, burns, or fractures. Injuries in unusual places or at different stages of healing. Pressure sores or sudden weight loss.
Behavioral: an older adult who becomes withdrawn, fearful, or agitated around a particular person, or who won’t speak openly when a caretaker is present.
Financial: sudden changes to bank accounts, wills, or property titles. Unpaid bills despite adequate income. A new friend or caretaker who quickly gains control over finances. Missing valuables or large unexplained withdrawals.
Living conditions: a filthy or hazardous home when a caretaker is supposed to be helping. Missing medications, medical devices, or basic hygiene supplies.

You don’t have to be certain, and you don’t have to sort out which category fits. Call 1-800-490-8505 and share what you know.

1
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Aging. Report Suspected Abuse of an Older Adult
2
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Older Adults Protective Services Act – Section 302
3
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Older Adults Protective Services Act – Definitions
4
Pennsylvania Department of Health. Customer Service – File a Nursing Home Complaint
5
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Request Assistance from a Long-Term Care Ombudsman
6
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Older Adults Protective Services Act – Section 307
7
Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. 6 Pa. Code 15.42 – Standards for Initiating and Conducting Investigations
8
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Older Adults Protective Services Act – Section 306