Elder abuse is a silent problem that robs seniors of their dignity, security, and—in some cases—costs them their lives. Up to five million older Americans are abused every year, and the annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at least $36.5 billion.

As of 2018, 52 million people in the U.S. were over the age of 65. Nearly 1 in 10 of these people suffer from elder abuse every year, according to some estimates.

Anyone can commit elder abuse, from loved ones to caregivers to other residents in a nursing home. And, elder abuse takes many forms, including physical injuries, financial exploitation, and even sexual battery.

Concerned families should review the most important elder abuse facts and statistics to get a scope of the overall problem and learn how to protect their loved ones.

What is elder abuse?

Elder abuse includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation, neglect, and abandonment. Perpetrators include children, other family members, and spouses—as well as staff at nursing homes, assisted living, and other facilities.

• Physical abuse means inflicting physical pain or injury upon an older adult.
• Sexual abuse means touching, fondling, intercourse, or any other sexual activity with an older adult, when the older adult is unable to understand, unwilling to consent, threatened, or physically forced.
• Emotional abuse means verbal assaults, threats of abuse, harassment, or intimidation.
• Confinement means restraining or isolating an older adult, other than for medical reasons.
• Passive neglect is a caregiver’s failure to provide an older adult with life’s necessities, including, but not limited to, food, clothing, shelter, or medical care.
• Willful deprivation means denying an older adult medication, medical care, shelter, food, a therapeutic device, or other physical assistance, and exposing that person to the risk of physical, mental, or emotional harm—except when the older, competent adult has expressed a desire to go without such care.
• Financial exploitation means the misuse or withholding of an older adult’s resources by another.

Learn more about the types of abuse from the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA).

How many older Americans are abused?

Approximately one in 10 Americans aged 60+ have experienced some form of elder abuse.¹ Some estimates range as high as five million elders who are abused each year. One study estimated that only one in 24 cases of abuse are reported to authorities.²

Who are the abusers of older adults?

Abusers are both women and men. In almost 60% of elder abuse and neglect incidents, the perpetrator is a family member.³ Two thirds of perpetrators are adult children or spouses.

What makes an older adult vulnerable to abuse?

Social isolation and mental impairment (such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease ) are two factors. Recent studies show that nearly half of those with dementia experienced abuse or neglect. Interpersonal violence also occurs at disproportionately higher rates among adults with disabilities.

How do I report elder abuse or abuse of an older person or senior?

Call the police or 9-1-1 immediately if someone you know is in immediate, life-threatening danger.

If the danger is not immediate, but you suspect that abuse has occurred or is occurring, please tell someone. Relay your concerns to the local adult protective services , long-term care ombudsman, or the police.

If you have been the victim of abuse, exploitation, or neglect, you are not alone. Many people care and can help. Please tell your doctor, a friend, or a family member you trust, or call the Eldercare Locator help line immediately.

You can reach the Eldercare Locator by telephone at 1-800-677-1116. Specially trained operators will refer you to a local agency that can help. The Eldercare Locator is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

The laws in most states require helping professions in the front lines — such as doctors and home health providers — to report suspected abuse or neglect. These professionals are called mandated reporters.

Join Our 6.1.5. Campaign

Want to help spread the word about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)? Using social media is an excellent way to engage our community around this important and timely subject. Visit our social media daily to share posts created to educate about this topic and join our 6.1.5. Campaign.

Use the information below to create a post and share 6 facts about elder abuse, 1 way you can prevent elder abuse and tag 5 friends in your post to participate in the campaign.

 

DOWNLOAD PDF HERE: 12 Things YOu Can Do To Prevent Elder Abuse

 

1. Elder abuse most often takes place in the home where the senior lives. It can also happen in institutional settings, especially long-term care facilities.
2. It is estimated that more than 1 in 10 older adults experience some form of abuse.
3. In an 1985 workshop, researchers stated that two dominant characteristics of American society were to blame for the prevalence of elder abuse: ageism and violence. Fight ageism by recreating an old photo of a badass senior.
4. Most victims are dependent on their abuser for basic needs.
5. The most common form of abuse is financial exploitation, with physical abuse, neglect and emotional abuse following.
6. Seniors who have been abused have a 300% higher risk of death in the next 3 years compared to those who weren’t.
7. In almost 90% of elder abuse and neglect incidents, the perpetrator is a family member. 2/3 of perpetrators are adult children or spouses.
8. For every reported incident of elder abuse, 5 others go unreported.
9. In 2000, states were asked to indicate the number of elder/adult reports received in the most recent year for which data were available. The total number of reports was 472,813.
10. Passive neglect is a form of abuse in which a caregiver neglects to provide the victim with basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, or medical care.
11. Legislatures in all 50 states have passed some type of elder abuse law.
12. According to the Office on Women’s Health (OWH), caregivers are more likely to emotionally abuse seniors (as opposed to spouses or family members).
13. Roughly 54 out of 129 seniors with dementia experienced some form of psychological abuse from their caregivers, according to a 2010 study from the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.
14. 38% of elders reported they experienced at least one instance of verbal abuse in a 2014 study conducted by Northeastern University researchers.
15. Seniors lose at least $2.6 Billion a year due to financial abuse — and possibly more due to unreported cases.
16. Only 1 in 44 cases of financial abuse is reported, according to the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA).
17. NAPSA also notes that elderly victims of financial abuse are three times more likely to die and four times more likely to enter a nursing home.
18. Financial abuse can take many forms, including identity theft, use of debit or credit cards, lottery scams, telemarketing or internet scams, or abuse of power of attorney.
19. If a senior lives with a child that is unemployed or suffers from substance abuse, they run a greater risk of financial abuse.
20. Seniors who were physically abused had a 300% greater risk of prematurely dying compared to those who had not been, according to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
21. Spouses or other partners were the greatest culprits of physical abuse, accounting for nearly 60% of all cases according to a study from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service.
22. In 2013, over 9,700 complaints about nursing home abuse were filed in the U.S. The most common type of complaint involved physical abuse.
23. Sexual abuse remains the least reported type of elder abuse, according to data from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
24. According to the Administration for Community Living, nearly 16,000 reports of sexual abuse in nursing homes have been made since 2000.
25. From 2013 to 2016, over 1,000 nursing homes were cited for sexual abuse, according to data from a CNN report. Roughly 100 of these homes received multiple citations during this time.
26. The U.S. Justice Department notes that caregiver neglect is the most unreported type of abuse, with 1 out of every 57 cases being reported. Neglect is also one of the most common types of elder abuse.
27. A 2011 study found that 21% of nursing home residents were neglected at least once over a 12-month period.
28. Neglect accounted for 14% of complaints against nursing homes, according to the National Center for Victims of Crime.
29. According to the WHO, 64% of nursing home staff members admitted to abusing residents in 2017.
30. 1 in 5 emergency room visits among nursing home residents was attributed to abuse or neglect in a 2019 report from the Office of Inspector General.
31. 24% of nursing home residents reported that a staff member physically abused them in a 2012 study conducted by Michigan State University.
32. Abuse, exploitation, or neglect accounted for 7.6% of complaints reported to ombudsmen at long-term care facilities.