About

Lucas County Department of Job and Family Services are required to investigate and evaluate all reports of suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation of adults age 60 and older. These adults may be handicapped due to aging or they may have physical or mental impairments which prevent them from providing for their own care and protection. When funding and services are available, adults who experience abuse, neglect and/or exploitation are offered support for protection and self-sufficiency. As the elderly population increases, reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation increase.

Physical/Sexual/Exploitative/Emotional Abuse

The types of abuse include: physical, sexual, emotional and exploitative. Abuse means the infliction upon an adult (by one's self or others) of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or cruel punishment with resulting physical harm, pain or mental anguish. Physical abuse includes pushing, hitting, slapping, pinching and other ways of physically harming a person. It can also mean incorrect positioning, force feeding, restraining or giving medication without their knowledge. Sexual abuse includes rape or other unwanted sexual contact, but it can also mean forced or coerced nudity, exhibitionism, and other non-touching sexual situations. Exploitation is the unlawful or improper act of a caretaker using an adult or his resources for monetary or personal benefit, profit or gain. Emotional abuse occurs when an elderly person is threatened, humiliated, intimidated or otherwise psychologically hurt.

If you would like to report abuse call: 419.213.8663

ODJFS provides a 24-hour online portal to report suspected adult abuse, neglect, and exploitation in Ohio that is not an emergency. You can access this online portal at the link below:

ODJFS Adult Protective Services Online Referral Portal

If you suspect a vulnerable adult is being abused, neglected or exploited, please report it by using this online reporting system;
OR, if you would like to remain anonymous, call the State of Ohio's Adult Protective Services Referral Line at 855-644-6277( 855-OHIO-APS).

(Mandated reporters, we encourage you to use the online portal in non-emergency situations to help keep our telephone referral line less busy.)

Thank you for your partnership in keeping one of our most vulnerable populations protected!