How to Report Nursing Home or Assisted Living Neglect in Arizona

By Joe Styler, editor (not an attorney). Updated October 17, 2026. Sources checked

If you think someone you love is being neglected or mistreated in a nursing home, assisted living home or memory care unit, you do not have to prove it before you speak up. Arizona has several offices that take reports, and each one does a different job. This page lists them in the order most families need them, with the phone numbers and forms we checked on the agencies’ own websites.

If someone is in danger right now

Call 911. Arizona’s Adult Protective Services page says it plainly: “For life-threatening emergencies, call 911 immediately.” A serious injury, a fall with possible broken bones, signs of sepsis or dehydration, or a resident who is not safe tonight are emergencies first and reports second.

1. Adult Protective Services

Adult Protective Services, part of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, investigates allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. That can include people living in care facilities.

• Phone: 1-877-SOS-ADULT (1-877-767-2385). The hotline is answered Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on weekends and state holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Online: APS has an online report form, in English and Spanish, that it says is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is linked from the APS page on des.az.gov.

You do not need proof to report. Arizona law requires many people who care for vulnerable adults, including health professionals, long-term care providers, home health providers and social workers, to report immediately when they have a reasonable basis to believe abuse, neglect or exploitation has occurred (A.R.S. 46-454(A)). Family members can report too. The same statute says retaliation against a person who reports in good faith is prohibited (A.R.S. 46-454(L)).

2. The state licensing agency (ADHS)

The Arizona Department of Health Services licenses nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It takes complaints about licensed facilities, and it has separate online forms for each kind:

• Nursing homes (long-term care): the ADHS long-term care complaint form at app.azdhs.gov.
• Assisted living centers and homes: the ADHS assisted living complaint form at app.azdhs.gov.
• Phone: ADHS lists its general public information line as 602-542-1025, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A licensing complaint is about whether the facility is following the rules for its license. It is different from an APS report, which is about the safety of a person. You can file both. ADHS also offers a License History Search for nursing homes and assisted living providers, and a database called AZ Care Check that lists licensing history, which may include deficiencies or enforcement actions. Those can help you see whether a facility has had problems before.

If your concern is about an individual doctor or nurse rather than the facility, their licensing boards take complaints. Our page on Arizona Medical Board complaints explains what a board complaint can and cannot do.

3. The long-term care ombudsman

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program works on behalf of residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult foster care homes. Its stated purpose is to “identify, investigate and resolve complaints” for residents, and it focuses on what the resident wants. An ombudsman can be a useful call for problems that are serious but not emergencies, such as a resident’s complaints about care being ignored.

• Maricopa County: Area Agency on Aging, Region One, (602) 264-4357.
• State office: (602) 542-6454, extension 9. Other counties are listed on the program’s page at des.az.gov.

4. Police

Arizona’s reporting law lets mandatory reporters report to a peace officer as well as to APS (A.R.S. 46-454(A)). If you believe a crime happened, such as an assault, sexual abuse or theft, you can call your local police department. In an emergency, call 911.

5. The facility’s own duty to report

Nursing homes that take part in Medicare or Medicaid must follow federal rules (42 CFR 483.1). One of those rules requires the facility to report alleged abuse, neglect, exploitation or mistreatment, including “injuries of unknown source,” to its administrator and to state officials. The deadline is “not later than 2 hours” when the events involve abuse or serious bodily injury, and not later than 24 hours otherwise (42 CFR 483.12(c)(1)).

You can ask the administrator, in writing, whether the facility reported an injury and to whom. Keep a copy of what you send.

Already reported, and wondering what comes next for your family? Request a free case review.

Who does what

Where to report a concern about a nursing home or assisted living resident in Arizona

Office	What it looks at	How to reach it
911	Emergencies and immediate danger	Call 911
Adult Protective Services	Abuse, neglect and exploitation of a vulnerable adult	1-877-767-2385, or the online form
ADHS licensing	Whether a licensed facility is following its rules	Online complaint forms; 602-542-1025
Long-Term Care Ombudsman	Resident complaints and rights, focused on what the resident wants	Maricopa County: (602) 264-4357
Police	Possible crimes	Local police, or 911 in an emergency

Keep your own record

Agencies work from facts. You can help by writing things down as they happen:

• dated photos of injuries, bedsores, bruises or unsafe conditions
• the date, time and name of each staff member you spoke with, and what they said
• the dates of falls, hospital trips, infections and weight changes
• the date of each report you make, the office, and any reference number you are given

Ask for copies of the medical records too. Arizona law lets a patient or the patient’s health care decision maker make a written request for access to medical records (A.R.S. 12-2293). Our page on how to get medical records in Arizona explains the steps.

A report is not a lawsuit

Reports to APS, ADHS or the ombudsman are important, but they do not file a claim for your family member and should not be treated as stopping any legal deadline. A civil claim under Arizona’s vulnerable adult law generally has to be filed within two years after actual discovery of the cause of action (A.R.S. 46-455(K)). Our page on nursing home neglect and abuse claims in Arizona explains that law, and our page on bedsores and falls in nursing homes explains what federal rules expect of facilities.

Frequently asked questions

What is the phone number for Adult Protective Services in Arizona?

Arizona Adult Protective Services takes reports at 1-877-SOS-ADULT (1-877-767-2385). The Department of Economic Security lists hotline hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends and state holidays, and an online report form available at all hours. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Do I need proof before I report suspected neglect?

No. Mandatory reporters must report when they have a reasonable basis to believe abuse, neglect or exploitation has occurred, and families can report their concerns too. Investigating is the agency’s job.

Where do I file a complaint about an assisted living facility in Arizona?

The Arizona Department of Health Services licenses assisted living facilities and has an assisted living complaint form online. Suspected abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult can also be reported to Adult Protective Services.

What does a long-term care ombudsman do?

The ombudsman program works to identify, investigate and resolve complaints made by or for residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and adult foster care homes, and it advocates for what the resident wants. In Maricopa County, the contact is the Area Agency on Aging, Region One, at (602) 264-4357.

Can the facility punish my family member because I reported?

A.R.S. 46-454(L) says retaliation against a person who in good faith reports abuse, neglect or exploitation is prohibited. If you see signs of retaliation, report that too.