What can I do if I see abuse in a long-term care home?

If a resident in a is being hurt or threatened, call 911. Police can investigate any crimes that take place in long-term care homes.

If it's not an emergency, but you think a crime is being committed, you can call your local police station.

You can also report a crime without giving your name through Crime Stoppers. Call them at 1-800-222-8477. Or, you can make a report using their website.

Who must report abuse

If you visit or work at a long-term care home, you must report any abuse that you see.

If you're a resident, you can report. But you do not have to.

Report an urgent complaint to the government's Long-term Care Family Support and Action Line. Complaints are urgent if they're about harm, neglect, or danger to residents.

You can call 1-866-434-0144, between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., 7 days a week. You do not have to give your name.

Visitors

The law says that people who visit long-term care homes must report any abuse or harm being done to a resident. This includes seeing abuse or reasonably suspecting that abuse is happening.

Workers

If you work at a long-term care home, you must report abuse and neglect that's happening or that you suspect is happening.

This duty applies even if the report is based on information that you would normally keep confidential, such as about a resident's health.

For example, you still have to report abuse if you're a member of:

If the law says that you must report abuse and you do not do this, you may be guilty of an offence and be fined. This applies to:

  • everyone who works at a long-term care home,
  • the home's management, and
  • anyone who provides health, social work, or social services at the home.

It does not apply to contract staff or agency staff who occasionally provide maintenance or repair services.

Residents

The only people who do not have to report abuse and neglect are the residents of a long-term care home. Residents can report abuse. But the law does not say that they have to.

There are more important details about how to report abuse in Step 2.

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There are also laws to protect older adults with developmental disabilities from abuse.

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