Columbia Senior AdvisorHow do I complain about a Columbia assisted living facility or nursing home?
File with DPH Healthcare Quality, through the online complaint portal it opened in March 2026 or by phoning 1-800-922-6735 and asking to file a health facility complaint; DPH can investigate any licensed CRCF, nursing home, hospice, home health agency or adult day center.
The portal asks guided questions and pulls in the facility's license details for you. Specifics make a complaint useful: dates, times, who was on duty, what happened and who saw it. An investigation can produce citations and a required plan of correction, and serious or repeated problems can end in an enforcement order that appears in DPH's monthly report.
Who investigates abuse of a resident inside a Midlands facility?
Under the Omnibus Adult Protection Act (S.C. Code 43-35-5 and following), reports about residents of most long-term care facilities go to the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, while SLED's Vulnerable Adults Investigations Unit handles state-operated facilities.
The regional ombudsman office depends on the county: Central Midlands Council of Governments ((803) 376-5390) for Richland, Lexington and Fairfield; Santee-Lynches ((803) 775-7381) for Kershaw; Lower Savannah (1-866-845-1550, option 4) for Calhoun; and Upper Savannah ((864) 941-8070) for Saluda. Call 911 first if anyone is in danger. You do not need proof; report what you saw or were told.
Who investigates abuse or neglect of an older adult living at home?
S.C. Department of Social Services Adult Protective Services, at 1-888-227-3487 (1-888-CARE4US) or online, investigates abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults living in the community.
APS also handles self-neglect, so a call is appropriate when a parent living alone in Cayce or Winnsboro can no longer cope and refuses help. Financial exploitation by a relative, caregiver or scammer counts too. Call local police when a crime is under way.
What else does a long-term care ombudsman do?
Ombudsmen are free, independent advocates for people living in CRCFs and nursing homes who look into complaints about care, rights, discharges and quality of life and work to resolve them, always with the resident's consent.
Typical cases include a contested discharge, a rate increase without 30 days' notice, mishandled personal funds or limits on visitors. The Central Midlands program also recruits volunteer ombudsmen who visit facilities regularly, which gives residents a familiar face to talk to.
Do facilities have to report serious incidents to DPH?
Yes. A South Carolina CRCF must report serious accidents and incidents involving residents to DPH within 24 hours by phone, email or fax and file a written report of its own investigation within five days (Regulation 60-84, Section 601).
Late or missing incident reports are among the violations DPH cites in its enforcement orders. Families may ask whether an incident involving their relative was reported and request the facility's investigation. Providers can file these reports through DPH's online portal as well.
Side by side
| Call | Instead of | |
|---|---|---|
| Care problem in a licensed facility | DPH Healthcare Quality, 1-800-922-6735 or the portal | The facility's corporate office alone |
| Abuse of a facility resident | The regional long-term care ombudsman (911 if urgent) | DSS, unless the person lives at home |
| Abuse or self-neglect at home | DSS Adult Protective Services, 1-888-227-3487 | Waiting for proof |
| Discharge or fee dispute | The ombudsman, free | Signing a new agreement under pressure |
Drawn from S.C. Code Regs. 60-84, DPH Healthcare Quality and SCDHHS publications, CareScout, CMS, the VA and the regional aging agencies cited in the text; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
