North Carolina does not have a single centralized statewide APS hotline -- Adult Protective Services is administered by each county's Department of Social Services under state oversight from NCDHHS's Division of Social Services. This means Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston, Chatham, Franklin, and Harnett counties each have their own separate DSS Adult Services intake line, and reports should go to the specific county where the adult resides.
What to do next
This county-by-county structure catches many families off guard, especially if they're used to states with a single, centralized statewide elder abuse hotline -- in North Carolina, the report needs to go to the DSS office in the county where the vulnerable adult actually lives, not where the family member reporting the concern lives, and not to a generic 'North Carolina APS' number that doesn't exist as a single centralized line. Wake County's number is 919-212-7264, but Durham, Orange, Johnston, Chatham, Franklin, and Harnett counties each maintain their own separate DSS Adult Services contact, and families need to look up the specific number for the county in question rather than assuming one number covers the whole Triangle. The NCDHHS Division of Social Services website (ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services) provides general program information and can help direct families to the correct county resource, but the actual intake and investigation happens locally at the county level.
Related questions
- How do I report suspected elder abuse or neglect in Wake County?
- What is the phone number for Adult Protective Services in Durham County?
- What's the difference between calling Adult Protective Services and calling the state facility complaint line?
- What number do I call to report problems with conditions inside a licensed nursing home or adult care home in North Carolina?
- What are common signs of financial exploitation of a senior that families in the Triangle should watch for?
- What should I do if I think my elderly parent is in immediate physical danger right now?
- Does Adult Protective Services get involved if my mother is being neglected by a family caregiver at home, not in a facility?
