Call These Numbers First
- 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
- Florida Abuse Hotline: 1-800-962-2873 (1-800-96-ABUSE), press 2, answered 24/7, or report online at reportabuse.myflfamilies.com. This is the mandatory first report for abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult anywhere in Florida, including Indian River County, and it activates Adult Protective Services.
- Elder Helpline: 1-800-963-5337 for care navigation and local senior services.
- Florida Senior Legal Helpline: 1-888-895-7873 for free legal advice, Florida residents 60 and older.
Our statewide hotline guide covers every number, including facilities, guardians, and scams. Below is what Indian River County adds on top.
Indian River County Elder Abuse Resources
In Indian River County the Senior Resource Association leads local senior services from Vero Beach, and the clerk handles vulnerable-adult injunctions through its Probate and Guardianship division, with brochures in English, Spanish, and Creole.
- Senior Resource Association: 772-569-0760. The county’s lead senior-services agency (694 14th St., Vero Beach): care, meals, transportation, and day programs.
- Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast: 866-684-5885. The regional aging hub serving Indian River: care navigation and services.
- State Attorney, 19th Circuit: Victim Services: 1-800-569-7273. Victim advocates who assist elder-abuse victims; the Vero Beach office is at 2000 16th Ave. (772-226-3300).
- Indian River County Sheriff: Victim Services: 772-978-6255. Victim assistance for crimes including elder abuse; non-emergency reports at 772-978-6240.
- Florida Rural Legal Services: Elder Law: 1-888-582-3410. Free elder-law help with Indian River in its service area.
All numbers and links verified August 2026. Indian River County sits in Florida’s 19th Judicial Circuit; the State Attorney for that circuit prosecutes exploitation as a felony, graded by the amount taken.
Helping a Indian River County parent from anywhere.
Book a free 30-minute consult. We assess what can be frozen, recovered, and protected, by phone or video.
Book your free consultFreezing the Money in Indian River County
When money is actively being drained, reporting alone does not stop it. Florida’s vulnerable adult injunction can freeze accounts and credit lines within days, even jointly titled ones, with no filing fee, and it works against anonymous online scammers too.
In Indian River, the clerk’s Probate and Guardianship division handles the vulnerable adult injunction, with brochures in English, Spanish, and Creole. The local number is 772-226-3164. Local filing information →
When to Bring In a Lawyer
Every resource above protects the person. None of them recovers the money, unwinds a deed or beneficiary change signed under pressure, or protects the estate. That is the civil track: freeze first, then a recovery case that can claim up to three times what was taken plus attorney fees, and, after a death, the rule that strips an abuser of the inheritance. How the recovery side works →
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Report Elder Abuse in Indian River County?
Call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 (press 2 for adult reports), report online at reportabuse.myflfamilies.com, or call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. The hotline routes the report to Adult Protective Services and, for crimes, to Indian River County law enforcement. Reporting is required by Florida law, good-faith reporters are immune from liability, and your identity stays confidential.
Can Indian River County Agencies Get the Money Back?
Mostly no, and that surprises families. Adult Protective Services protects the person, law enforcement and the State Attorney pursue the crime, and a criminal court can order restitution, but none of them will unwind a deed, reverse a beneficiary change, or sue to recover what was drained. That is the civil side: a vulnerable adult injunction to freeze what is left, then a recovery case that can claim up to three times the amount taken. We handle that track for Indian River County families remotely.
Where Do I File the Vulnerable Adult Injunction in Indian River County?
In Indian River, the clerk’s Probate and Guardianship division handles the vulnerable adult injunction, with brochures in English, Spanish, and Creole. There is no filing fee, no lawyer is required, and the sworn petition makes you certify that you already reported to the abuse hotline. Because the asset-freeze provisions are technical and a thin petition can backfire, most families have the petition and freeze list reviewed first; that is part of what our free consult covers.
Do You Have an Office in Indian River County?
No. StepUp Law is a Miami firm serving Indian River County residents remotely, by phone and video, which works well for adult children stepping in from out of town. Exploitation cases are document cases (statements, deeds, account records), so distance rarely matters, and we move fast when it counts.
Sources of Law
- Fla. Stat. §415.1034 (mandatory reporting to the central abuse hotline); §415.1036 (good-faith reporter immunity); §825.103 (criminal exploitation, felony graded by value); §825.1035 (the vulnerable adult injunction: no filing fee, clerk assistance, venue in the circuit where the vulnerable adult resides); §772.11 (civil recovery). Local resources verified against each agency’s official page on August 3, 2026.
Updated on August 3, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. Attorney Kevin Klagge represents families, businesses, and international clients in estate planning and international law, with a focus on Florida legal tools. He litigates estate and business issues in court. General information about Florida law, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. We serve Indian River County residents remotely; this is not a Indian River County office. Agency numbers and pages change; if a number fails, start with the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.