Hudson Valley Senior AdvisorHow do I file a complaint about an adult home or assisted living residence?
Call the Department of Health's adult care facility complaint line at 1-866-893-6772, staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on weekdays with voicemail after hours, or file in writing; complaints about nursing homes go to 1-888-201-4563.
Write down dates, names and what you saw before you call. The department decides whether to investigate on site, and any resulting report appears on NYS Health Profiles. Home care agency complaints go to the department's home care line, 1-800-628-5972.
Who handles abuse of an older adult living at home in Dutchess or Orange?
County Adult Protective Services: in Dutchess County call (845) 486-3000, or the county's 24-hour elder abuse hotline at (845) 485-9700, and in Orange County call (845) 291-2800; anyone in immediate danger needs 911.
Adult Protective Services handles abuse, neglect, self-neglect and financial exploitation of adults who cannot protect themselves. The New York Attorney General's Poughkeepsie Regional Office, (845) 485-3900, takes consumer complaints such as contract or billing disputes with a residence.
What does the long-term care ombudsman do for Mid-Hudson residents?
The ombudsman is a free, independent advocate for people living in nursing homes and adult care facilities; for Dutchess and Orange it is the Hudson Valley Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, (845) 229-4680, which also covers Columbia, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster.
Trained volunteers visit buildings regularly, help residents speak up about care, food, rights and discharges, and can attend care meetings at the resident's request. The ombudsman works for the resident, not the facility or the family, so it acts only with the resident's consent. The statewide line is 1-855-582-6769.
What should we try before filing a formal complaint?
For everyday problems, start inside the building: talk with the shift supervisor, then the administrator, and ask for a care plan meeting, keeping notes of each conversation; escalate to the state when safety is at risk or nothing changes.
Residents of adult care facilities have the right to a resident council, and nursing homes must have a grievance process. The ombudsman can sit in when a family is not getting anywhere.
At a glance
| Call this number | For this problem | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-866-893-6772 | Adult home or assisted living complaints | Abuse at a private home |
| 1-888-201-4563 | Nursing home complaints and discharge appeals | Assisted living billing disputes |
| County APS | Abuse or neglect of an adult living at home | Problems inside a licensed facility |
| (845) 229-4680 | Free resident advocacy | Emergencies, which need 911 |
Rules and dollar amounts on this page come from New York law and regulation (the Social Services Law, Public Health Law, 18 NYCRR and 10 NYCRR), Department of Health GIS messages and directories, CMS, the VA, CareScout or the county agencies named in the text. Our sourcing rules: editorial standards.
