Who is required to report elder and dependent adult abuse?
The mistreatment of any individual is cause for concern in any community, but with regards to elder and dependent adult abuse, certain individuals are required by law to report the suspected abuse or neglect of elderly and dependent adults. According to California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 15630, mandated reporters of elder and dependent adult abuse include staff of a public or private facility that provides services to elder or dependent adults, clergy members, health practitioners, and others (http://law.onecle.com/california/welfare/15630.html). In addition, employees of financial institutions are required to report suspected financial abuse (The State Bar of California, 2007) [1].
To report suspected elder or dependent adult abuse in Alameda County call one of the following agencies:
Adult Protective Services (APS) 24 hours/day 7 days/week
Alameda County
(510) 577-3500 or toll free: 1-866-Call APS (follow cues, all calls will be returned)
District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Unit
(510) 569-9281
Ombudsman (for suspected abuse in a nursing home or residential care setting)
Alameda County
(510) 638-6878
You can also report elder and dependent adult abuse to your local police department.
[1] The State Bar of California. (2007). What Should I Know About Elder Abuse? (pamphlet).
