Last verified: October 2026
How do you file a complaint about a personal care home in Pennsylvania?
Complaints about personal care homes and assisted living residences go to the Department of Human Services: call 877-401-8835 or use the DHS online complaint form, and check the facility's record in the DHS Provider Directory first so you can name the license correctly.
Sources: PA DHS PCH/ALR complaints.
How do you file a complaint about a Pennsylvania nursing home?
Nursing home complaints go to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which licenses nursing homes and investigates complaints: call 1-800-254-5164, email c-ncomplai@pa.gov, or file the online facility complaint form.
Sources: PA Department of Health.
Where do you report abuse of an older adult in the Pittsburgh area?
Call the statewide elder abuse line at 1-800-490-8505, available around the clock, which routes reports to the county Area Agency on Aging's protective services unit; if someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.
County lines also take reports directly: Westmoreland 724-830-4444 (724-431-3678 after hours), Butler 724-283-6955, Beaver 724-775-1786, Armstrong 724-548-3290, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging (Washington and Fayette) 1-800-537-2424.
What does the long-term care ombudsman do?
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program helps residents of nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living facilities resolve problems with their care, acting on the resident's behalf; reach it through the Department of Aging at 717-783-8975 or LTC-Ombudsman@pa.gov, which connects you to the local ombudsman.
The ombudsman is free and independent of the facility. It is the right first call for discharge notices, billing disputes and rights violations that are not abuse.
What information should a complaint include?
Give the facility's exact name and license or CMS number, the resident's name, the dates and times of what happened, who was involved, and what you have already reported to the facility; agencies can act faster on specific, dated facts.
Keep copies of anything you submit and note the date and the name of anyone you speak with.
Can you complain anonymously?
Yes. Abuse reports to protective services can be made anonymously, and DHS and the Department of Health accept complaints without requiring you to be a resident or relative, although giving contact details lets investigators follow up with you.
Who handles which problem
| Goes to | Does not go to | |
|---|---|---|
| Care problem in a personal care home or ALR | PA DHS 877-401-8835 | Department of Health |
| Care problem in a nursing home | PA Department of Health 1-800-254-5164 | DHS licensing |
| Abuse, neglect or exploitation | 1-800-490-8505 / county protective services | only the facility |
| Discharge or rights dispute | Long-Term Care Ombudsman | a lawyer as the first step |
