Mandatory Abuse Reporting

The Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA), which was amended by Act 13 of 1997, mandates reporting requirements on suspected abuse. Any employee or administrator of a facility who suspects abuse is mandated to report the abuse. All reports of abuse should be reported to the local Area Agency on Aging and licensing agencies. If the suspected abuse is sexual abuse, serious physical injury, serious bodily injury, or suspicious death as defined under OAPSA, the law requires additional reporting to the Department of Aging and local law enforcement.

Definitions of Abuse requiring additional reporting:

Sexual Abuse—intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing or attempting to cause rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault or incest. Sexual Harassment requires reporting to the AAA only.
Serious Physical Injury—an injury that causes a person severe pain or significantly impairs a person’s physical functioning, either temporarily or permanently.
Serious Bodily Injury—an injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a body member or organ.
Suspicious Death—a death that would arouse suspicion or is questionable.

Abuse Reporting Resources

Any person who believes that an older adult is being abused, neglected, exploited or abandoned may call the elder abuse hotline. The hotline is open 24 hours a day. Statewide Elder Abuse Hotline: 1-800-490-8505

For information and making required oral reports of sexual abuse, serious physical injury, serious bodily injury, and/or suspicious death. PDA Mandatory Abuse Phone Number: (717) 265-7887

APS & OAPS Mandatory Abuse Reporting Form
Mandatory Abuse Reporting Online Training
Request a Login for Mandatory Abuse Online Training

Facilities (defined by OAPSA)

Adult Daily Living Centers
Personal Care Homes
Assisted Living Residences
Birth Centers
Community Homes for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Community Residential Rehabilitation Services
Department of Human Services (DHS) Nursing Facilities
DHS-licensed and DHS operated residential facilities for adults
Domiciliary Care Homes
Family Living Homes
Home Care Registry*
Home Health Care Organization or Agency**
Hospices
Intermediate Care Facilities for the Intellectually Disabled (private and state)
Long Term Care Nursing Facilities
Long Term Structured Residences
Personal Care Homes
State Mental Hospitals

*A Home Care Registry or “Registry” is further defined to include those agencies licensed by the Department of Health any organization or business entity that supplies, arranges or refers independent contractors to provide activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living or specialized care in the consumer’s place of residence or other independent living environment for which the registry receives a fee, consideration or compensation of any kind.

**Home Health Care Agency is further defined to include those agencies licensed by the Department of Health and any public or private organization which provides care to a care-dependent individual in their place of residence.