3. Report the abuse

If a resident in a retirement home is being hurt or threatened, call 911. Police can investigate any crimes that take place in retirement 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.

Reporting to the RHRA

The role of the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) is to make sure that the home is following the laws that apply to retirement homes.

You can report abuse to the RHRA by calling 1-855-275-7472. You can also make a written report using this Incident Report Form. The form includes information about how to mail, fax, or email it in.

You don't have to give your name. But if you don't give your name and contact information, the RHRA won't be able to:

• ask you for more information, or
• tell you what they decide to do about your report.

Information you need to give

Give as much as information as you can. This makes it easier for the RHRA to investigate your report.

You must give the following information:

• the name of the home
• the address of the home, including the town or city it's in
• a description of what happened, including whether it happened once or is an ongoing problem
• when and where it happened if it's a specific event, for example, inside or outside the home
• who was involved

Reporting to management

You can also report abuse to the management of the home. You can do this by phone or letter.

Make notes of who you spoke to, what was said, and what the retirement home said they would do.

Operators of homes must:

• report abuse to the RHRA
• contact the police immediately if abuse could be a crime