How To File A Complaint Against A Health Care Facility in Indiana

David Besnette

We feel that any family or individual who is receiving services from any healthcare facility, including Assisted Living, Nursing Home Care, or any other Long-Term Care option should know how to file a complaint against the facility should there be abuse, neglect, deficient services or any other issue that puts the safety, well-being, or dignity of a resident or client in jeopardy.

Often times, figuring out how to file a complaint with the state is a murky process.    However, if you are needing to do so in Indiana, you are in luck.  The process is easy and straightforward, if you know where to look.

How To File A Complaint in Indiana

This quick guide will detail how to file a complaint or report concerns about a health care facility, agency, center, or clinic in Indiana using official State channels and forms.  

Step 1

You’ll need to visit the Indiana State Department of Health website – specifically their ‘Reporting A Complaint About A Health Care Facility” page here:  https://www.in.gov/isdh/21533.htm

You will see a comprehensive overview and explanation about the goals of the page, and process for filing a complaint.

The site (at this time) looks like this:

Indiana’s Safest Facilities:


Safe Facilities

Step 2

Down below, you’ll see a number of options for filing a complaint.  This is great news, as some people are more comfortable with email, some families may wish to call, and others may be ok with mailing in a form.   Kudos to the State of Indiana for providing choices in filing complaints!

Methods of filing a complaint include:

  • Complaint Report Form (this is a downloadable document)
  • Email:   complaints@isdh.in.gov
  • Toll-free Complaint Report Line: 1-800-246-8909 [available during state business hours]
  • Mail to:  Indiana State Department of Health
    Health Care Facility Complaint Program
    2 North Meridian Street, 4B
    Indianapolis, IN 46204

Naturally, it is very important to include as much information as possible.   The State of Indiana suggests that you provide as much information in the following areas:

  • Your Contact Information
  • Location of the Facility (please include the Name and Address)
  • Date of incident, or issue, if possible, or if it is an ongoing matter
  • Time (day shift, night shift etc.)
  • Individuals, Persons or Administrators Involved (i.e. nursing staff, aides, foodservice workers, owners/administrators)

Other suggestions include filing a complaint in a timely manner.  It is difficult to collect accurate information about an incident after a significant period of time.   Memories fade, and documents are destroyed or lost.

May A Complaint Be Anonymous?

According to the site, yes.  This is also very important to us, and great for Indiana to allow.   Some residents, often seniors who live alone or who may feel isolated in a Senior Living facility fear repercussions from staff if it is found out that a complaint was filed.    Being able to complain anonymously may help those who would otherwise continue to experience abuse or neglect.

The downside of this anonymity is that it is harder to verify issues, and the system may be prone to false alarms or unjustified claims.

Seniors fear repercussions

Lastly, what happens after a complaint is filed?

According to the ISDH site:  “Within 7-10 days after you contact the ISDH, you will receive a letter from the ISDH Health Care Facility Complaint Reporting Program verifying that we have received your complaint and we are going to investigate. Complaints are investigated in order of severity”

Indiana Residents:


Availability

Find more How To guides on SeniorLiving FAQ

6 thoughts on “How To File A Complaint Against A Health Care Facility in Indiana

  1. Sharon Roberts

    I want to put in a complaint about the nursing home Persimmon Ridge in Portland Indiana.
    My mother has been placed in there by other family members and I want to complain about how awful that place is…….Filthy dirty…….smells of horrible smells……..rooms and whole facility is old and outdated……beds have never been updated…..my mother never had back issues until she was there and the beds would give anyone a back ache……..The rooms are so small and now this weekend she was giving a roomate and she is not happy …..no privacy whatsoever. One restroom for two rooms with four people there is no reason for that!!!!!!
    For $6000.00 a month for this facility she should be living like a queen!!!!!! But no instead she is living in a hell hole!!!!!
    I would not pay $1.00 a month for this place.
    Also the parking lot is so full of pot holes and I almost fell with my grandson the other day and that was not good!!!!!

    1. besnette Post author

      Hey Sharon – did you file a complaint through the State – I included phone numbers and directions on our site on how to do that in Indiana. I am so sorry you have had a bad experience there. Sounds like there could be some legitimate health/safety issues there.

  2. Bonnie

    Hanover,Indiana Nursing Home needs to be checked out especially the locked unit where the Alzheimer patients are kept. Unit is dirty and the way the food is served is horrible. I Couldn’t believe my eyes . I can’t believe they could keep patients in that unit. They need to be treated fairly even though their mind is not functioning does not give them the right to keep them in there. REALLY NEEDS DOME ATTENTION FROM SOMEONE LIKE STATE. THOSE POOR SOULS.

  3. Deenise Abrams

    I would like to know about alarm systems in nursing homes. My mother is in a nursing home for rehab after a Tia. She tried to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night on Saturday the 21st and fell. They do not have bed or chair alarms. They don’t know for sure how long she was on the floor. When they called my sister they told her they sent a message to the Dr to order a x-ray. 8 hours later they still didn’t have an order and we requested to have her sent to the hospital. She had a broken hip. So we requested to have an alarm on the bed. They don’t have alarms in here and won’t let us get one. We are having a meeting about moving her. Shouldn’t this be required if the patient tries to get up?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.