The Center for Prevention of Abuse - Reporting Elder Abuse

REPORTING ELDER ABUSE

To make a report, call the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine or your local elder abuse agency.

Senior Services - For Peoria, Tazewell, Marshall, Stark, Woodford and Fulton Counties
(309) 637-3905

Department on Aging Senior Help Line - During regular business hours 1-866-800-1409

Department on Aging After-Hours Elder Abuse Hotline - After hours 1-800- 279-0400

The reporter should be prepared to answer the following questions to the best of his or her ability:

The alleged victim's name, address, telephone number, gender, age and general condition; the best time to contact the person; and, if he or she knows the report is being made
The alleged abuser's name, gender, age, relationship to victim and condition
The circumstances which led the reporter to believe that the person is being abused, neglected or financially exploited, with as much specificity as possible
Whether or not the alleged victim is in immediate danger and if there is any danger to the worker going out
Whether or not the reporter believes the client could make a report himself or herself
The name, telephone number and profession of the reporter
The names of others with information about the situation
If the reporter is willing to be contacted again
Any other relevant information

Even if the reporter does not have all of the above information, the call should be made with as much information as possible. Depending on the seriousness of the allegations, a trained caseworker will make a face-to-face contact with the victim within the following time frames:

24 hours for life threatening situations
72 hours for most neglect and non life-threatening physical abuse reports
7 calendar days for most financial exploitation and emotional abuse reports

The Elder Abuse and Neglect Act provides extensive protections to all reporters. Anyone who makes an elder abuse report in good faith is exempt from civil or criminal liability. A reporter's name cannot be released without the reporter's consent or by order of a court. Anonymous reports are also accepted.

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