Elder Abuse Reporting in Wisconsin: How to File and What Happens Next

Something Looks Wrong — And You're Not Sure What to Do

You noticed bruises on your parent that nobody can explain. Or their bank account is draining faster than their care costs justify. Or a caregiver seems to be isolating them from family visits. You suspect something is wrong, but you don't have proof, you don't want to make a false accusation, and you don't know who to call.

Wisconsin law is clear on this: you don't need proof to report. If you have a concern, you can make a report; the receiving agency determines how to respond.

Where to Report

For abuse in a nursing home, CBRF, RCAC, or other licensed care facility: Contact the Wisconsin Division of Quality Assurance. DQA investigates complaints about licensed facilities, including physical abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and violations of residents' rights. You can file a complaint with DQA, including through its online intake survey or toll-free line at 800-642-6552. For caregiver misconduct specifically, that page also links to the public misconduct reporting system.

For abuse in the community (at home, by a family member, by a home care worker): Contact your county's Adult Protective Services unit, typically operated through the county Department of Human Services or the Aging and Disability Resource Center. APS investigates abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults at risk — defined under Wisconsin law as adults who have a physical or mental condition that substantially impairs their ability to care for their own needs and have experienced, are experiencing, or are at risk of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation. For an adult age 60 or older, you can also call the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline at 833-586-0107.

For immediate danger: Call 911. If your parent is in physical danger right now, law enforcement responds first. APS and DQA investigations follow after the immediate safety threat is resolved.

What Counts as Elder Abuse

Wisconsin recognizes several categories:

Physical abuse — hitting, pushing, restraining, or any physical contact intended to cause pain or injury. This includes inappropriate use of physical or chemical restraints in a facility setting.

Neglect — failure to provide necessary care, food, shelter, or medical treatment. In a facility, neglect can mean inadequate staffing leading to missed medications, untreated pressure injuries, or falls due to insufficient supervision. Self-neglect — where an adult at risk fails to meet their own basic needs — is also reportable.

Financial exploitation — unauthorized use of an elder's funds, property, or assets. This ranges from a caregiver stealing cash to a family member pressuring a parent with dementia to change their will or add them to bank accounts.

Emotional abuse — verbal threats, humiliation, isolation from family and friends, or any pattern of behavior that causes psychological distress.

You Don't Need Proof

This is the point most people get stuck on. Wisconsin's reporting system is designed for suspicion, not certainty. The investigation determines whether abuse occurred — the reporter's role is to flag the concern.

When you report, describe what you observed: the specific signs that concerned you, when you noticed them, and any relevant context. You don't need to name a perpetrator or prove a theory. "My mother has unexplained bruises on her arms and seems afraid of one of her night-shift caregivers" is enough to trigger an investigation.

Mandatory Reporters

Wisconsin generally relies on voluntary reporting. Limited required reporters include, in specified circumstances:

• Licensed health care providers
• Employees of entities licensed, certified, approved, or registered by the Department of Health Services
• Licensed social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists

The duty applies in circumstances set by law, including when the adult asks for a report or cannot make an informed decision and faces imminent serious harm.

A professional's reporting duty depends on these circumstances and applicable rules. The law doesn't limit reporting to required reporters — anyone can file a report, and anyone who reports in good faith is protected from civil or criminal liability, even if the investigation finds no abuse.

What Happens After You Report

Screening. The receiving agency (APS or DQA) reviews the report to determine whether it meets the threshold for investigation. Not every report leads to a full investigation — some are referred to other agencies or determined to fall outside the agency's jurisdiction.

Investigation. If accepted, an investigator visits the adult at risk, interviews witnesses, reviews records, and assesses the living situation. For facility complaints, DQA may conduct an unannounced survey.

Findings. The investigation results in a determination — substantiated or unsubstantiated. Substantiated findings against a facility become part of its public survey history, visible on the Wisconsin Provider Finder. Substantiated findings against individuals may trigger referrals to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.

Protective interventions. If the adult is in ongoing danger, APS can coordinate services and work with a legal decision-maker or petition the court for legal protections when appropriate. Law enforcement responds to immediate danger.

Protecting Yourself as a Reporter

Wisconsin law protects good-faith reporters from retaliation. If you're reporting abuse in a facility where your parent still lives, you may worry about the facility retaliating against your parent. Report this concern to the investigator — the reporter's identity is protected by law, and Wisconsin creates a rebuttable presumption that discharge, retaliation, or discrimination against a reporter within 120 days is retaliatory.

The Wisconsin Care Decision Guide includes an agency communication log for documenting concerns, reporting conversations, and investigation follow-ups — creating a paper trail that supports both the investigation and your parent's protection.

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