Where to Report and Get Help
The following resources are intended to connect consumers, families, and professionals to services/resources:
For immediate/emergency help, call 9-1-1
Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is the regulatory agency for long-term care and is responsible for determining compliance with all federal and state regulations.
The ODH Complaint Unit, is the centralized contact point and a coordinated information source for allegations of non-compliance with state and/or federal rules and regulations including abuse, neglect, and misappropriation.
ODH investigates complaints in the following:
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Nursing homes, skilled nursing and nursing facilities
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Hospitals
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Residential homes, intermediate care facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities, unlicensed homes, county homes
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Home health agencies, hospice agencies, dialysis centers, inpatient rehabilitation centers, ambulatory surgical centers, birthing centers, rural health clinics, free-standing radiation therapy centers, mobile diagnostic imaging centers, portable X-rays
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Solid organ transplant services, bone marrow/stem cell transplantation services
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Adult and pediatric cardiac catheterization services, obstetric/newborn units
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Clinical laboratories and plasmapheresis centers
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Any other federally certified or ODH-licensed health care service or treatment provider
A complaint investigation is unannounced, and the identity of the complainant and resident(s) are never divulged.
However, the ODH’s focus is in determining compliance with regulations and therefore, it is important to share as much information about alleged abuse, neglect, or misappropriation as possible. If violations are found, ODH can implement enforcement actions including fines, among other things.
Minimally, it is recommended that a complaint include the name and address of the facility; date and time of concern; and, identifiable resident, patient, and staff information.
For more information on how to file a complaint can be found in the Guide to Filing a Complaint Against a Health Care Facility.
To file a complaint you may obtain a complaint form for completion by clicking this Complaint Form link. You can also call 800-342-0553 or the home health hotline at 800-669-3534.
For more ODH information visit Abuse, Neglect, Misappropriation, and Exploitation | Ohio Department of Health