How do you report a care provider?

My first response would address this part of your question: "if you suspect..." What proof do you have? That would be the first step before any accusations are leveled.

I'm not dismissing the seriousness, but you really do need to substantiate this serious claim. Do you have photos? Is there any dementia involved with the people for whom care is being provided? Is this in a home or facility? How many people are being abused/neglected? What specifically are the sources of neglect, and have you documented them? Did you specifically witness the abuse?

And, what is your role in the situation? Are you a family member? Observer? Friend?

If the care provider is a facility, report to the Ombudsman, required by law to be posted at the facility.

If the care provider is an employee at an agency, or employed by the facility, make your first report to the person in charge, Director of Nursing, Facility's management, then to an outside enforcement agency, the NH Ombudsman.

If the care provider i s a private party, independent contractor, call APS.

Florida State Ombudsmen
Michael Miliken
State LTC Ombudsman
Department of Elder Affairs
Florida State LTC Ombudsman Council
4040 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Tel: (888)831-0404
Fax: (850)414-2377

Ombudsman Homepage
http://ombudsman.myflorida.com/Contact.php

Do not expect much, there is no teeth in the laws that protect the vulnerable people in this world. You can complain and file reports however unless they over bill Medicare or Medicaid you get the ole stroke job of personalities and he said she said. Pictures of bruises are explained away, you are dealing with dementia after all and you know how they are. If I sound cynical it's because I am, the so called care givers have more protection then the vulnerable people they are paid to protect. Record one threatening your loved one, then record you threatening them, you go to jail, they get a free pass, maybe a warning.

If you have better luck, please come back and let us know how you did it.

Does this caregiver work for an agency?
If yes, I would go to their supervisor.

APS (Adult Protective Services) would be able to come out and do an assessment for any claim. 

If the patient is in danger, I would call the police.

Don't forget to inform next of kin (family members, if you know them.)

We had a caregiver who was stealing from my parents, neglecting them and overdosing them on pain medicine. I reported it to 25 agencies and to the police in Delaware and no one responded until after she (and my sister) had killed them. One agency called me AFTER they were dead. She claims that because I didn't say that my parents were being physical beaten when I called and filed a complaint, it was not a priority. APS and all the other agencies in Delaware are a joke. Now my parents are dead. I went as far up as the U.S.Marshal and the A.G. and no one did anything.

Have you reported it to the caregiver's agency?

If you have proof positive, the first response should be to tell that person's supervisor immediately AND follow it up in writing a letter of "deep concern" addressed to the immediate supervision or the agency or facility for which the caregiver works and send it by certified mail. These agencies/facilities run on reports and paperwork. You can bet your booties that they are writing a report on any action your LO does for which they might add a fee, recommend further medication, etc. That should produce action - a call or visit with the supervisor/facility. Write a memo of that as well along the lines of thanking them for meeting about (whatever/whoever) and your understanding of what action they indicated would be taken - and provide them with a copy of the memo. If the problem is not resolved, follow up with a second complaint and follow up. It won't take long before two things happen: (1) they resolve the problem; or they realize that you're building a case with paperwork. I agree with 'Isthisreallyreal' above - most of the power is on the caregiver side and there are realities with aging - but I've found that the agencies/facilities respond better when they realize that we are keeping records as well. That doesn't mean that you are building a legal case or acting on the advice of an attorney - but the caregiver or facility doesn't know that and legal action is about the only thing they fear. Writing it all up a year later doesn't work - you have to keep what they call "contemporaneous" records - things that happen, how you responded and what was agreed at the time of each incident. Yelling, threatening, whining or even asking nicely has no effect - but paperwork does. And so do online comments. There are often questions on my neighborhoods On line Network asking for recommendations for care facilities and that's a good place to share accurate information.

If the care provider is a facility, report to the Ombudsman, required by law to be posted at the facility.

If the care provider is an employee at an agency, or employed by the facility, make your first report to the person in charge, Director of Nursing, Facility's management, then to an outside enforcement agency, the NH Ombudsman.

If the care provider i s a private party, independent contractor, call APS.

I'd call a hospital and ask a social worker.

As your profile is vague, I do not know if your LO is in a nursing home. If so, you report the supposed neglect to the Ombudsman. If the elder is being cared for through an agency, you report it to their supervisor. The supervisor's name should be on the contract, assuming you filed one.