Calling the Texas Abuse Hotline starts a defined process. Here is what the state says happens next, how fast a caseworker must visit, and where APS stops.
The call families dread making
Most families who end up on the phone with the state hotline did not plan to. A daughter notices that her father’s house has changed: the refrigerator is empty, the mail is stacked unopened, or a new “friend” suddenly handles his bank card. A neighbor sees an elderly woman who seems thinner each month. The question that follows is usually the same: if I call, what will actually happen?
This guide walks through what the state publishes about how Adult Protective Services handles a report. APS works under a statewide process, so the steps below apply the same way in Harris County as elsewhere in Texas. We have not found published Harris County response-time statistics, and we are not going to guess at them. Where a detail depends on your family’s situation, we say so.
Who APS can help, and who it cannot
According to the state, APS protects two groups of adults living in the community: people age 65 or older, and adults age 18 to 64 with a mental, physical, intellectual or developmental disability that substantially impairs their ability to live independently. It investigates allegations of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation, and the state’s case-process page also describes self-neglect.
The setting matters. The state says APS looks into situations involving people who live in the community, such as in their own home or a relative’s. It does not investigate nursing facilities or licensed group homes. For those, the state directs callers to Texas Health and Human Services at 1-800-458-9858. If your parent lives in an assisted living community, the safest step is to call that HHSC number and ask which line handles your situation, rather than assuming. Our guide to the HHSC provider search explains how to review a facility’s inspection history.
One more limit: the state says APS cannot investigate allegations against someone who has no ongoing relationship with the client.
What happens after you call: the four priorities
The Texas Abuse Hotline is run by the Statewide Intake division of the Department of Family and Protective Services. Per the state’s description, intake creates a case if the allegations meet APS criteria, assigns a priority based on severity, and sends it to a local APS office where a caseworker is assigned. The published timelines for the first face-to-face visit are:
- Priority 1: within 24 hours, for serious harm or risk of death.
- Priority 2: within three calendar days, when the person risks serious harm.
- Priority 3: within seven calendar days, for abuse or neglect.
- Priority 4: within 14 calendar days, for financial exploitation alone when the person is not facing imminent hardship or lacking basic needs.
Notice the last one. A family that reports only a suspicious bank withdrawal may be told the visit can wait up to two weeks. If you also see missing food, unsafe conditions or physical injury, say so clearly on the call, because those details affect the priority.
The investigation itself
The state describes the caseworker’s work in a sequence. Within 24 hours of intake, the caseworker contacts someone with current, reliable information. The caseworker then meets the adult to assess safety and talk through the allegations, and gathers evidence to decide whether abuse, neglect, self-neglect or exploitation occurred. If a crime is suspected, the caseworker contacts local law enforcement.
Entering the home
APS cannot enter a home without permission from an adult who lives there. If entry is repeatedly denied, the state says it may ask a court for an order. Do not be surprised if a caseworker speaks with your parent alone, because that is a normal part of assessing safety.
What your parent gets to decide
The state is explicit that APS cannot force services on a client who has the mental capacity to make their own decisions. A capable adult may choose to stay in a home others consider unsafe. This is the part families find hardest, and it is deliberate: the process is built around the adult’s rights, with the least restrictive option preferred.
What services APS can arrange
When an adult agrees, APS can help in practical ways. The state lists short-term help such as emergency shelter (usually through partners, since APS has no emergency shelters of its own), minor home repairs, emergency food, transportation to medical appointments, and referrals for money management, home health and mental health services. Longer-term help includes advocating for government benefits and connecting the person with community agencies. Families sometimes assume APS will move a parent into a facility. It does not work that way.
When capacity is in question
If an adult faces immediate danger, lacks the capacity to consent and has no spouse, relative or guardian who can consent, the state says APS may request an Emergency Order for Protective Services from a court. APS can also refer a person for guardianship, but it does not act as guardian. It first considers less restrictive options and suitable family or friends, and refers to the HHSC guardianship program if no one is available. If you are worried your parent is heading toward that point, read our comparison of guardianship vs power of attorney before a crisis forces the decision.
How to make a report that helps
- Be specific. Give the person’s name, address, phone number if known, and what you saw and when. Dates and examples help intake choose a priority.
- Describe risk to health and safety. Missed medication, no food, no heat or cooling, unpaid utilities and untreated wounds are concrete.
- Name who else is involved. Caregivers, relatives, a doctor or a hospital social worker can be contacts for the caseworker.
- Keep your own notes. Save screenshots, bank statements and photos you are legally entitled to have. Do not break into accounts or confront the suspected person.
- Use 911 for emergencies. The hotline is not an emergency dispatch line.
The state says reports are protected by law and that people who report in good faith are immune from civil or criminal liability. It also says Texas law requires everyone to report suspected abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of older adults and adults with disabilities.
What APS is not
APS is an investigation and services agency, not a placement service or a replacement for a care plan. Even a closed case can leave a family with the harder job: arranging reliable support. That may mean in-home help, an adult day program, or a move to assisted living or memory care. We can talk through options and costs; assisted living across Greater Houston has run roughly $3,200–$7,800 a month as a range, and any specific community should give you a written quote.
If you are sorting out next steps for a parent in Greater Houston, call Houston Senior Advisor at (346) 385-3815. We are not an investigative agency and we cannot take the place of a report to the state, but we can help you understand care options once your parent is safe.
Last updated October 11, 2026. This guide is general information for Greater Houston families, not medical, legal, or financial advice.
