Rochester Senior AdvisorHow do I file a complaint about a Rochester-area adult home or assisted living residence?
Call the Department of Health's Centralized Complaint Intake Program for Adult Care Facilities at 1-866-893-6772, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., or use the department's online complaint form; after-hours voicemails are returned within one to two business days.
You may stay anonymous, but then give as much detail as you can: the facility name and address, names of residents and staff involved, and dates and times. The department decides whether to send surveyors, and any resulting report appears on the facility's NYS Health Profiles page.
How do I complain about a nursing home in New York?
Call the Nursing Home Complaint and Discharge Appeal Hotline at 1-888-201-4563, which takes calls 24 hours a day and is staffed by surveillance staff on weekdays, or submit the department's online nursing home complaint form.
Home care and hospice complaints go to a separate line, 1-800-628-5972. For a concern about a hospital stay or discharge, ask for the hospital's patient advocate first; Strong, Highland, Rochester General and Unity all have one.
Who do I call about suspected elder abuse in Monroe County?
For an adult living in the community, call Monroe County Adult Protective Services at (585) 753-6532; for someone in immediate danger, call 911; and Lifespan of Greater Rochester's elder abuse program at (585) 244-8400 helps victims and families.
Adult Protective Services in New York is run by each county's Department of Social Services, so the number depends on where the person lives: Ontario (585) 396-4111, Livingston (585) 243-7300, Wayne DSS (315) 946-4881 and Orleans DSS (585) 589-7000. Abuse inside a licensed facility should also be reported to the Department of Health hotlines above.
What does the long-term care ombudsman do for Rochester residents?
The ombudsman program at Lifespan of Greater Rochester, 585-244-8400 ext. 114, sends trained advocates into nursing homes and adult care facilities across Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston, Orleans and four neighboring counties to help residents resolve problems and exercise their rights, free and confidentially.
The ombudsman works for the resident, not the facility or the family, and acts only with the resident's permission. The statewide office can be reached at 1-855-582-6769.
What should I write down before calling any of these lines?
Write down what happened, when, who was involved, who you already told at the facility and what they said, because every one of these agencies will ask for those details first.
Photographs of injuries or conditions, copies of care plans and the names of witnesses help. Keep a dated log of later conversations. If the problem is urgent, call 911 first and the hotline second.
At a glance
| Call this agency for | Not this | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-866-893-6772 | Adult home and assisted living complaints | Nursing home complaints |
| 1-888-201-4563 | Nursing home complaints and discharge appeals | Abuse at home in the community |
| County APS | Abuse or neglect of adults living at home | Licensing questions |
| Lifespan ombudsman | A resident's own advocate | An inspection |
Sources include the N.Y. Social Services Law and Public Health Law, 18 NYCRR Parts 487-494, 10 NYCRR Parts 415 and 1001, Department of Health GIS messages, CMS, the VA and CareScout, as cited above; see our editorial standards.
