What Happens After a Report is Made to APS in Indiana?

Adult Protective Services (APS) is there as a resource for those who are concerned a vulnerable adult in their life is being abused, like a senior living in a nursing home in Indiana. Making a report might be the first step to prompt an investigation into the facility’s negligence.

If you file a report with APS in Indiana because your loved one is being abused at their nursing home, its investigators may open a case. Their goal is to substantiate reports of abuse and ensure endangered adults get out of harm’s way. APS, as well as the Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program, can facilitate victim reporting to law enforcement and connect victims with the resources they need after suffering abuse. Concerned loved ones can make reports to APS if they suspect abuse or have been told of abuse, and this can be done online. After APS concludes its investigation, our lawyers can review its findings in preparation for a civil claim for compensation against a liable nursing home.

For help with your case from our Indiana nursing home abuse lawyers, call Wruck Paupore today at (219) 322-1166.

What Happens if You Make a Report with APS in Indiana?

Indiana Adult Protective Services can intervene in cases of suspected adult neglect or abuse, investigate matters further, and involve law enforcement if necessary. Loved ones of nursing home abuse victims might file reports with APS or other agencies, and our lawyers can help explain what these processes entail.

You can inform APS of the abuse of an endangered adult, like a senior living in a nursing home, by submitting an online report or calling the APS hotline. APS reports are kept confidential, and victims and reporters aren’t given much information about investigations until they conclude. That said, APS investigators might contact those who make reports and the victims the reports are about for more information. For example, if you report abuse on your loved one’s behalf, an APS investigator might contact you with more detailed questions about how you came to know about the abuse and if the victim would also speak to them.

APS’s investigation into nursing home abuse could yield additional information and evidence our lawyers can use to support compensation claims based on victims’ claims. APS can also facilitate victim reporting to local law enforcement in Indiana, which might investigate abuse further. However, any criminal case would be separate from a civil compensation claim against a negligent senior living facility.

After reporting abuse to Adult Protective Services, families can urge victims to inform Indiana’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which advocates for nursing home residents and their rights. It can help abused seniors find new, safe nursing homes to live in after reporting abuse and get the specialized therapeutic care necessary to recover psychologically.

When Should You Make a Report to APS in Indiana?

APS exists to protect endangered adults, just as Child Protective Services does for minors. Even if your loved one living in a nursing home has not expressly mentioned they are being abused, you can make a report to APS if you suspect abuse, neglect, or maltreatment.

Our lawyers can help you report nursing home abuse to APS to further document your loved one’s mistreatment in a senior living facility. Separate investigations performed by Adult Protective Services, the LTC Ombudsman Program, our Indianapolis nursing home abuse lawyers, and possibly law enforcement could yield the evidence we need to prove a facility’s liability and establish neglect or abuse.

Common signs of abuse in nursing homes include unexplainable injuries, sudden decline in health, sudden depletion of savings, and becoming depressed or withdrawn. Victims might not acknowledge abuse immediately, and APS and the LTC Ombudsman Program can give victims the resources they need to advocate for themselves. Again, if you suspect abuse, you can report it to APS on your loved one’s behalf, and Adult Protective Services can investigate the matter further in a manner that protects the victim’s confidentiality.

If your loved one explicitly says they are being abused by another resident or a staff member at the nursing home, whether physically, sexually, psychologically, or financially, take what they say seriously and inform the appropriate authorities for their safety.

How Can You Report Nursing Home Abuse to APS in Indiana?

Again, families of victims can report suspected abuse or known neglect and mistreatment to Adult Protective Services online. Our attorneys can help you gather the necessary information to make a report and track the case as it proceeds, during which time we might perform our own investigation.

The first step in making an online APS report is identifying the reporting person. Typically, this is someone close to a victim, like their spouse or child. However, it could also be anyone with reason to be concerned about a senior’s safety. Reporters must provide at least their last name and relationship to the victim. They may also provide more identifying information, like their phone number and first name.

Adult Protective Services then requires reporters to give the victim’s information, including their first and last name and address. You can also give more detailed information about the victim, like age, gender, identifying characteristics, and physical disabilities. You then do the same for the person abusing your loved one, such as a staff member of their nursing home. You can then detail your reasons for filing a report with APS, including anything the victim has personally told you about the abuse or injuries you have personally witnessed. You can mention if you have reported your concerns to the facility in the past and if the nursing home failed to act in the victim’s best interest. Once the report is complete, you will receive a case reference number, which our lawyers can use to track APS’s investigation and findings.

Call Our Lawyers About Your Case in Indiana Today

Call the South Bend, IN nursing home abuse lawyers of Wruck Paupore at (219) 322-1166 for a free case assessment.