Elder Abuse Is A Serious Problem

AOA.gov, Dec 23, 2005

Legislatures in all 50 states have passed some form of elder abuse prevention laws. Laws and definitions of terms vary considerably from one state to another, but all states have set up reporting systems. Generally, adult protective services (APS) agencies receive and investigate reports of suspected elder abuse.

The 1998 National Elder Abuse Incidence Study funded in part by AoA found the following:

551,011 persons, aged 60 and over, experienced abuse, neglect, and/or self-neglect in a one-year period;
Almost four times as many new incidents of abuse, neglect, and/or self-neglect were not reported as those that were reported to and substantiated by adult protective services agencies.

Persons, aged 80 years and older, suffered abuse and neglect two to three times their proportion of the older population; and among known perpetrators of abuse and neglect, the perpetrator was a family member in 90 percent of cases. Two-thirds of the perpetrators were adult children or spouses.

Elder abuse is an umbrella term used to describe one or more of the following: