How to Recognize and Report Elder Abuse (2026)

If you think someone you love is being hurt, neglected, or financially exploited, that fear is worth acting on. You do not need proof, and you do not need to be certain. This guide walks you through how to recognize elder abuse and exactly who to call for each situation, so you can report it today.1

Trusting your gut here is the hard part. Maybe the bruises do not match the story. Maybe money is disappearing from an account, or a new "friend" has taken over your father's finances and started keeping the rest of the family away. You do not have to prove anything before you speak up. Reporting a concern is not an accusation, it is a request for a trained professional to take a look.

The frustrating thing is that the help is real but scattered. Federal agencies each handle their own slice, and Adult Protective Services is provided by state and local governments, so no single official page tells a worried family member the whole picture. Below is that whole picture: the signs, the right phone number for each situation, and an honest account of what happens after you call.

In This Guide

• First, Recognize It: The Types of Elder Abuse
• How to Report Elder Abuse: Who to Call, by Situation
• The Numbers to Keep
• What Happens After You Report Elder Abuse
• If You're Not Sure, or Want to Stay Anonymous
• Why This System Exists
• Frequently Asked Questions

First, Recognize It: The Types of Elder Abuse

Each year, hundreds of thousands of adults over the age of 60 are abused, neglected, or financially exploited, and that mistreatment is called elder abuse. It takes more than one form, and knowing the types helps you name what you are seeing.2

• Physical abuse: causing bodily harm, for example by hitting, pushing, or slapping. It can also include restraining an older adult against their will, such as locking them in a room or tying them to furniture.
• Emotional or psychological abuse: a caregiver saying hurtful words, yelling, threatening, or repeatedly ignoring the older adult, or keeping that person from seeing close friends and relatives.
• Sexual abuse: forcing an older adult to watch or be part of sexual acts.
• Neglect: a caregiver not trying to respond to the older adult's needs. It can include ignoring physical, emotional, and social needs, or withholding food, medications, or access to health care.
• Abandonment: leaving an older adult who needs help alone without planning for their care.
• Financial abuse or exploitation: money or belongings being misused or stolen from an older adult, including forging checks, taking their retirement or Social Security benefits, withholding access to money or financial information, or using their credit cards and bank accounts without permission.2

The warning signs follow the same lines. Physical signs include bruises, black eyes, welts, lacerations, or rope marks; bone fractures; unexplained pressure marks, burns, cuts, or scars; and broken eyeglasses or other signs of being restrained. Behavioral signs include a sudden change in behavior, becoming withdrawn or acting agitated or violent, a caregiver controlling or isolating the older adult, and a caregiver who refuses to let visitors see or speak to the older adult alone. Financial signs include sudden changes in bank accounts or banking practices, such as an unexplained withdrawal of large sums of money by a person accompanying the older adult, unauthorized withdrawal of the older adult's funds using their ATM card, abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents, and bills left unpaid despite adequate financial resources. The older adult telling you they were hit, mistreated, exploited, neglected, or sexually assaulted is a warning sign in its own right.1 Watch for a pattern that might suggest a problem, and seek help if you are concerned. You do not need to prove that abuse is happening, because professionals will investigate.1

How to Report Elder Abuse: Who to Call, by Situation

This is the part every family gets tangled in, because the right number depends on what is happening. Here is the decision, laid out.

The workhorse of this list is Adult Protective Services (APS), a social services program provided by state and local governments for older adults and adults with disabilities who need assistance because of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation. In all states, APS is charged with receiving and responding to reports of adult maltreatment. Because state and local governments provide it, your report goes to the program serving the older adult's own state, and the National Adult Protective Services Association lists phone numbers for programs in each state, or can be reached at 202-370-6292.3 The federal Administration for Community Living also points families to the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116, where specially trained operators will refer you to a local agency that can help.4

If the older adult lives in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or board and care home, there is another route. Long-term care ombudsmen advocate for the needs of people who live in those settings and are trained to help resolve problems. You can find your state's ombudsman online or by calling 202-332-2275.2

For scams and financial fraud, the National Elder Fraud Hotline, run by the U.S. Department of Justice, takes calls at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.2 If money is actively being drained from a bank or investment account, call the institution's fraud line too.

The Numbers to Keep

Save these three in your phone before you need them:

• 911, for immediate danger.2
• Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116, for a referral to a local agency that can help.4
• National Elder Fraud Hotline, 833-372-8311, for scams and financial exploitation.2

What Happens After You Report Elder Abuse

Families often expect that a report leads to a rescue, and it helps to have a realistic picture instead. When you contact APS, the program receives the report and responds to it: in all states, APS is charged with receiving and responding to reports of adult maltreatment.3

This guide cannot tell you exactly what that response will look like for your family, so the most useful thing you can do is ask rather than assume. When you call, ask your state's APS what it can and cannot do in a situation like yours (the services it can offer, and the limits on what it is able to arrange). Making the report is still the right move: it puts a trained professional on notice and creates a record, even when the outcome is not the one you hoped for.

If You're Not Sure, or Want to Stay Anonymous

You do not have to be certain, and you do not have to hand over evidence. If you are concerned, seek help and let the professionals investigate.1 APS is provided by state and local governments, so ask the program serving the older adult's state whether you can report without giving your name.3 The worst outcome is not an awkward call. It is staying silent while something gets worse.

Why This System Exists

If it feels like elder abuse gets less attention than it should, there is history behind that. The Elder Justice Act, enacted in 2010, was the first comprehensive federal law aimed at the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults.5 It is the reason APS programs receive federal support and coordination today. The reporting system you are using traces back to it, even if the number you dial is your own state's.

Learn More

If you are worried about an older adult and not sure which call to make first, find personalized help sorting out the right reporting channel at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.