Reporting abuse, neglect or exploitation of adult – Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5101.61

“Reporting abuse, neglect or exploitation of adult”

Any employee that discovers potential abuse related to their employment that has reasonable cause to suspect abuse of an adult must immediately report it to the country department of job and family services.  Anyone who reasonably believes that an adult has suffered abuse, neglect, or exploitation may report such belief to the department of job and family services. 

The report will include the following information:

• The name, address and approximate age of the adult who is the subject of the report;
• The name and address of the individual responsible for the adult’s care;
• The nature and extent of the alleged abuse, neglect of exploitation of the adult; and
• The basis of the reporter’s belief that the adult has been abused, neglected, or exploited. 

The reports provided are not a public record.  Information contained within such reports will be made available under the following circumstances:

• On request to the adult who is the subject of the report;
• To agencies authorized by the department to receive information contained in the report; and
• To legal counsel for the adult. 

Any person who makes a report about abuse shall be immune from civil or criminal liability.   No employer or other authority figure can in any way retaliate against an employee who has filed a report.  Neither the written, oral or investigatory records will be made public.