Do caregivers need abuse and neglect training?
Yes, plan on it. In Georgia, employees of agencies that provide health-related services to elders and disabled adults are mandated reporters, so they must report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation. Assisted living rules name this training outright. Teach every caregiver what to look for and who to call.
Georgia law lists "employees of agencies providing health-related services to elders or disabled adults" among people who must report when they have reasonable cause to believe an at-risk adult has been abused, neglected or exploited. Mandated reporters report to Adult Protective Services and to law enforcement.
The training itself: Georgia’s assisted living rule (111-8-63-.09) says all staff must be trained on residents’ rights and on spotting abuse, neglect and exploitation. For private home care agencies we found a rule on screening staff for abuse history, but not a separate hour count for this topic. Even so, because your caregivers are reporters, you want it in orientation and in every year’s in-service.
What to teach:
- What abuse, neglect and exploitation look like (bruises, missing money, unsafe home, being left alone)
- Her duty to report, and that she should not wait for you to decide
- How to report: call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. Otherwise, APS Central Intake is 404-657-5250 in metro Atlanta, or 1-866-552-4464 elsewhere in Georgia.
- How to document what she saw, in plain words
Write down the date she was trained and keep it in her file.
Sources
- Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults in Georgia · Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.09 Workforce Qualifications, Training and Staffing (assisted living) · Cornell Legal Information Institute (Georgia DCH rule text)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-65-.09 Administration and Organization (Private Home Care Providers) · Cornell Legal Information Institute (Georgia DCH rule text)
Reviewed by Beth Bledsoe, Care Business Advisor®, 28 Oct 2026. Rules change. Confirm with your state Medicaid agency before you act.
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