More than 73,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse. They experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The symptoms and treatment of elder abuse are complex and demand a concerted effort to tackle this often unrecognized and unreported social problem. That’s why we brought together dozens of different organizations to work collaboratively to tackle the challenge.
*Source material used with permission from the National Center on Elder Abuse
Notify the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) Adult Protective Services at 855-444-3911, if you suspect elder or vulnerable adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation occurred in:
If you are a mandated reporter, you must report any suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult to Adult Protective Services by calling 855-444-3911. A mandated reporter is a person who is employed, licensed, registered, or certified to provide health care, educational, social welfare, mental health, or other human services; an employee of an agency licensed to provide health care, educational, social welfare, mental health, or other human services; a law enforcement officer; or an employee of the office of the county medical examiner.
For anyone who is not a mandated reporter, you may still report suspected elder or vulnerable adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation to Adult Protective Services by calling 855-444-3911. To report abuse in a nursing facility, call the Attorney General's Health Care Fraud Division on their statewide hotline, 800-24-ABUSE (800-242-2873).
Health Care Fraud Division
P.O. Box 30218
Lansing, MI 48909
Email
To ensure patient rights are protected, the Health Care Fraud Division reviews, investigates and criminally prosecutes those facilities, employees and individuals who recklessly or intentionally harm residents entrusted to their care.
Elder and vulnerable adult abuse, neglect and exploitation are behaviors committed against an elder or vulnerable adult who is unable to protect himself or herself due to a mental or physical impairment or due to advanced age.
The perpetrators are often trusted family, friends, neighbors or caregivers. This can occur in the person's home, in the home of another person or in licensed settings such as adult foster care, homes for the aged or nursing homes.
IMMEDIATELY report incidents, verbally or in writing, in the nursing home to the administrator, the director of nursing, or the charge nurse of the health care facility.
IMMEDIATELY report applicable situations to Adult Protective Services-MDHHS; the State Police and/or the local police; Attorney General Health Care Fraud Division; Long Term Care Ombudsman; and the Department of Insurance and Financial Services.
Take photographs, if possible, and make written statements concerning:
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
517-373-9196
Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman
866-485-9393 or 517-827-8040
If you suspect abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a resident of a nursing home by another resident or by a nursing home employee notify the following agencies:
Nursing Home Staff, if you know or have reason to believe that someone is using a nursing home resident's assets or benefits for purposes other than the care, needs and wishes of the resident, you may report suspected elder or vulnerable adult exploitation to the Attorney General's Health Care Fraud Division using this online complaint system. If you have any questions surrounding the complaint process please call, 517-241-6500.
Nursing Home Exploitation Complaint Form
