By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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Where to report in each state
| State | Agency for nursing home abuse | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| California | CDPH Licensing and Certification district office | Online through the California Health Facilities Information Database (Cal Health Find), or by phone, letter or fax to the district office (CDPH) |
| California | Long-Term Care Ombudsman | CRISISline 1-800-231-4024, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (California Department of Aging) |
| Texas | HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake | 1-800-458-9858 (HHSC) |
| Washington | DSHS Complaint Resolution Unit | 1-800-562-6078, TTY 1-800-737-7931 (DSHS, DSHS poster) |
CDPH calls the online filing “the most direct way” to complain, and it routes the complaint to the right district office. Since July 1, 2018, CDPH must complete long-term care complaint investigations within 60 days, and the district office tells you the result in writing (CDPH). Our guide to reading Cal Health Find explains how that result shows up later as “substantiated” or “unsubstantiated.” The California ombudsman reviews and investigates reports of abuse or neglect in long-term care facilities, and its services are free and confidential (California Department of Aging).
In Texas, the HHSC intake line covers licensed nursing facilities, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, among other providers (HHSC). The Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 is run by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), and it is the number DFPS gives for Adult Protective Services reports (Texas Abuse Hotline, DFPS). APS sends allegations that occurred in a facility regulated by HHSC Long-Term Care Regulatory Services over to HHSC (APS Handbook 4200), so calling HHSC directly saves a step.
In Washington, DSHS sends concerns about residents of nursing homes, adult family homes and assisted living facilities to the Complaint Resolution Unit (DSHS). For problems or questions about a licensed long-term care facility, the State Ombuds line is 1-800-562-6028 (DSHS poster).
If the abuse happened at home and not in a facility, the report usually goes to Adult Protective Services instead. Our page on what triggers an APS investigation covers who APS serves in each state.
The deadlines for staff who suspect abuse
Families can report any time. Staff, owners and other mandated reporters have fixed duties.
| State | Rule for abuse in a nursing home | Law |
|---|---|---|
| California | Verbal report to local law enforcement immediately, and no later than two hours. Written report within 24 hours to the ombudsman, law enforcement and the state licensing agency. If the alleged abuser is another resident with a physician-diagnosed dementia and there was no serious bodily injury, a written report to the ombudsman and law enforcement within 24 hours. | Welf. & Inst. Code 15630(b)(1)(A) |
| Texas | Any person, including an owner or employee, who has cause to believe a resident has been or may be abused, neglected or exploited must report immediately, to HHSC’s hotline or a law enforcement agency. Knowingly failing to report is a Class A misdemeanor. | Health & Safety Code 260A.002, 260A.005, 260A.012 |
| Washington | Mandated reporters must report immediately to DSHS when there is reasonable cause to believe abandonment, abuse, financial exploitation or neglect occurred. Suspected physical assault also goes immediately to law enforcement. | RCW 74.34.035 |
California’s list of mandated reporters includes facility administrators, supervisors and licensed staff, health practitioners and anyone who has taken on care or custody of an elder or dependent adult, paid or unpaid (15630(a)). Washington’s list includes facility operators and employees, social workers and law enforcement officers (RCW 74.34.020). Texas has a general reporting rule in Human Resources Code 48.051, and its subsection (b) sends reports about a licensed facility to the agency that licenses it. Section 48.003 points abuse in nursing facilities and assisted living facilities to Chapter 260A.
The federal 2-hour rule
Federal law adds a second layer. A long-term care facility that receives at least $10,000 a year in federal funds must notify its owners, operators, employees, managers, agents and contractors that they must report any reasonable suspicion of a crime against a resident to federal health officials and to local law enforcement. The report is due within 2 hours when there is serious bodily injury and within 24 hours otherwise. A covered person who fails to report faces a civil money penalty of up to $200,000, or up to $300,000 if the failure made the harm worse (42 U.S.C. 1320b-25).
Separately, the facility itself must report an alleged violation to its administrator and to state officials, including the state survey agency and adult protective services where state law provides, within 2 hours if it involves abuse or serious bodily injury and within 24 hours if not. It must report the results of its investigation within 5 working days (42 C.F.R. 483.12(c)).
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Protection for people who report
| State | Protection | Law |
|---|---|---|
| All three states (federal law) | A facility may not fire, demote or punish an employee for making a required report of a suspected crime | 42 U.S.C. 1320b-25(d) |
| Texas | Good-faith reporters are immune from civil or criminal liability. An employee suspended or fired within 60 days of a good-faith report gets a rebuttable presumption of retaliation. Residents, family members and volunteers can also sue for retaliation. | Health & Safety Code 260A.009, 260A.014, 260A.015 |
| Washington | A person who reports in good faith is immune from liability resulting from the report | RCW 74.34.050 |
Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.
What this means for your case
Write down what you saw, when, and who was on shift, and take dated photos of injuries. When you call, ask for the intake or complaint number and keep it. A report starts a government investigation, and the agency’s findings can later support a civil claim, but the report does not file one. The chart, the staffing records and any video can disappear, so families often ask for the records at the same time; our page on how long a nursing home lawsuit takes explains the records rules. For the rights a resident keeps inside the facility, see nursing home residents’ rights, and for how the firm reviews these claims, visit our nursing home abuse section.
Common questions
Should I call the police about nursing home abuse?
Call 911 if anyone is in danger. In California, staff must give law enforcement a verbal report within two hours in most facility cases, so police may already be involved.
How long does CDPH take to investigate a nursing home complaint?
CDPH says it must complete long-term care complaint investigations within 60 days, and it notifies you of the result in writing.
Is the Texas Abuse Hotline the right number for a nursing home?
For abuse inside a Texas nursing facility or assisted living facility, call HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake at 1-800-458-9858. APS refers facility cases to HHSC.
Does Washington's complaint line cover adult family homes?
Yes. DSHS directs concerns about nursing homes, adult family homes and assisted living facilities to the Complaint Resolution Unit at 1-800-562-6078.
Can a nurse aide be fired for reporting abuse?
Federal law bars a facility from firing, demoting or otherwise punishing an employee for making a required report of a suspected crime, and Texas gives employees a right to sue for retaliation. Beverly Law offers a free case review in English or Spanish at (310) 552-6959. You owe no fees or costs unless we win. Find more answers in our injury law FAQs.
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Related pages
Sources
- CDPH, File a Complaint (health facilities) (cdph.ca.gov)
- California Department of Aging, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (aging.ca.gov)
- CDSS, Adult Protective Services, Report Abuse (cdss.ca.gov)
- Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code 15630 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Texas HHSC, Complaint and Incident Intake, long-term care providers (hhs.texas.gov)
- Texas DFPS, Adult Protective Services (Texas Abuse Hotline) (dfps.texas.gov)
- Texas Abuse Hotline (DFPS) (txabusehotline.org)
- Texas DFPS, APS Handbook section 4000 (dfps.texas.gov)
- Tex. Health and Safety Code ch. 260A (260A.002, 260A.005, 260A.009, 260A.012, 260A.014, 260A.015) (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Tex. Human Resources Code ch. 48 (48.003, 48.051) (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Washington DSHS, hotline poster (Complaint Resolution Unit and State Ombuds) (dshs.wa.gov)
- Washington DSHS, Adult Protective Services (dshs.wa.gov)
- RCW 74.34.035 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 74.34.020 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 74.34.050 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- 42 U.S.C. 1320b-25 (reporting crimes in long-term care facilities) (law.cornell.edu)
- 42 C.F.R. 483.12 (facility reporting of alleged violations) (law.cornell.edu)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.