Can a person call Adult Protective Services anonymously?

AFS must investigate all reports by law. The reporter is kept anonymous. Say it's a report on a vulnerable adult with dementia like behavior.

I did this to my own mother years ago because I was so concerned for her mental state and safety. She was so mad somebody was "up in her business" but I said whomever it was must be concerned about you.

Even if they investigate, if they find her in her right mind, she may not be eligible for court-ordered intervention. When my mom was investigated, she could still cover up and "show time" long enough to buffalo the social worker.

Since all calls received into APS are confidential, all calls are given the same attention given the information received. Each case is investigated, and either termed "substantiated" or "unsubstantiated" related to the allegations. Anyone is allowed to contact APS, and the persons being investigated will not know who called APS. I have nasty neighbors who just did this to me and the case has been closed based on the investigator's assessment of my husband and me. That said, details you describe about your neighbor do warrant investigating. Having been a Child Protective Services case manager and APS works the about the same, I told our APS case manager details she did not receive in the original report, and she could see almost immediately what was really going on in my neighborhood. APS is not the enemy folks, as CPS is, with the main focus on the person who may or may not need help and making sure those caregivers have all the tools necessary in order to keep that person healthy and safe. Don't kill the messenger! I'm actually glad someone came out, met my husband and he was able to tell her he was "fine" and happy because "my wife takes good care of me". Case closed...

My husband turned his father in for not allowing his mother the care that my husband thought his mother should receive. He told his father he had turned him in. Father enjoyed the visit. Even though they both had dementia the agency explained that things had to be pretty bad before the agency could do anything about it. In retrospect they were actually doing pretty well considering their age, dementia etc. At the time it was very hard to see them (him) refusing the help their children thought they needed.

I would start with a good lawyer.

Thanks everybody. I spoke with her social worker today and she has had a recent home and mental health evaluation just in August of 2015 and was found to be competent and her home within regulations. She told the case worker she wanted no further assistance and her case is now closed. I was able to pass on this information to the concerned friend who has promised to limit her overprotective behavior and have also arranged for my senior friend to have her "chore worker" take on the role of laundry and linen changes. Hopefully things will go along more smoothly now that this has all come to pass. I can only hope. I really appreciate all your answers because they have given me a lot of peace in the matter.

This woman sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Yes, she has already had many accidents, both in her home, falling, and on the road. Yet, no doctor, social worker or caseworker is able to find her to be incompetent or a danger to herself. Any danger she may be to others is considered "hearsay" as she has never injured anyone else. Therein lies the rub.

She drives? Oh my. I think I'd send the DMV a note.

We called AFS to report my Dad's wife for abuse. What all the answers say above were also the same for us. Most important outcome: You have on record that authorities were called to report an issue. No, you cannot get a copy but it can be subpoenaed if ever necessary. Plus , it is a good scare tactic.

Be very careful an very certain before using APS as a scare tactic. In my state it is a crime to request an investigation frivilously. In my case the request by sibs to investigate me completely backfired on them. I think they actually hope I was exploiting the folks and would run, then they would get what they wanted, placing mom in a facility. Here we are three years later. Had I run, I would have appeared very guilty. So, sibs had me between a rock and a hard place. Even if I had wanted to leave, I couldn't/shouldn't, talk about appearing guilty or I could have been brought up on charges of abandonment.