FLORIDA ELDER ABUSE REPORTING 2

Florida Elder Abuse Reporting

Name of state: Florida
Who are the mandated reporters?
Mandated reporters include health professionals that are involved in examination, treatment,
or care of the vulnerable adults in hospitals. These professionals include physicians, nurses,
emergency medical technicians, paramedics, medical examiners and other hospital personnel.
The reporters also include staff at nursing homes, family care homes, assisted living facilities
as well as institutional and residential staff. Other mandated reporters include law
enforcement officers, municipal, county or state criminal justice employees, employees of
banks, trustees, savings and loans, and credit unions. Members of Disability Rights Florida or
Florida advocacy council as well as employees of Department of Business and Professional
Regulation that conduct inspections in public lodging places are also mandated to report. This
list is, however, not exhaustive is reporting is not limited to these people (RAINN, 2020).
Who is exempt from reporting (if applicable)?
No one is exempt from reporting
What is the definition of an “adult”?
A person who is 18 years old or older.
What are the penalties for failing to report?
A person who fails to report attracts a charge of second-degree misdemeanor (RAINN, 2020).
This charge applies to any person who willfully and knowingly fails to report to the relevant
authority exploitation or neglect, suspected or known abuse of a vulnerable adults. It also
applies to a person who knowingly prevents another person from making the report.
What information is needed for the report?

FLORIDA ELDER ABUSE REPORTING 3
Information that should be included in the report includes demographic information of the
alleged victim, such as their name, age, sex, physical description, and race. It also includes
names and contacts (telephone numbers and addresses) of the victim’s family members,
alleged perpetrators, the victim’s caregiver, and the reporter of the victim’s alleged neglect or
abuse. Other information that should be included in the report is the description of the
psychological and physical injuries sustained by the victim, a description of the actions that
the reporter took upon discovering the victim’s abuse, and any other information that the
reporting person has that may help in establishing the cause of the victim’s neglect or abuse
(RAINN, 2020).
Is there anything particularly helpful and/or harmful about the manner in which your
state deals with reporting elder abuse and/or abuse against a person with disabilities?
A great thing about the manner in which Florida deals with reporting of elder abuse is that is
has mandatory reporting requirements. Such requirements encourage timely reporting of
elder abuse.

FLORIDA ELDER ABUSE REPORTING 4

References

RAINN (2020). Mandatory Reporting Requirements: The Elderly Florida. Retrieved on 13 th
June, 2020 from https://apps.rainn.org/policy/policy-state-
laws.cfm?state=Florida&group=5&_ga=2.76590037.136750668.1592019738-
489805551.1592019738