Open Access
Elder abuse was first introduced in 1975 as “granny battering” by G. R. Burston. Today, it affects millions of older adults worldwide. Approximately 15.7% of seniors (141 million people) are abused globally. In the U.S., roughly 1 in 10 older adults have experienced abuse.
Elder abuse is a serious issue in U.S. nursing homes, with around 16% of residents affected. Shockingly, up to 40% of staff admit to psychological abuse, including swearing or yelling at residents. Yet, only 1 in 24 cases are reported, highlighting an urgent need for increased awareness and action to protect vulnerable seniors.
Key Insights
Around 15.7% of older people (141 million people) are abused worldwide, with psychological abuse being the most common at 11.6%.
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Roughly 1 in 10 Americans ages 70 and older have experienced abuse. That number jumps to 16% for residents of nursing homes.
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In 2023, seniors lost $61.5 billion to fraud and scams, including financial abuse.
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Up to 40% of care facility staff admit some form of psychological abuse against older residents during a 12-month time frame.
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Financial abuse by family or acquaintances has a much higher non-reporting rate (87.5%) compared to that by strangers (33%).
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Elder Abuse Statistics
Elder abuse is an underreported issue, with only an estimated 1 in 24 cases of abuse being reported to the authorities in the U.S. While abuse is most common in nursing homes and other care facilities, nearly 47% of incidents are perpetrated by family members. More specifically, two-thirds of perpetrators are adult children or spouses. 13% of the reported cases are by non-family caregivers in different care facilities.
Overall, approximately 1 in 10 seniors 70 years old and older are abused in the U.S., or an estimated 5 million older people each year.
What Percentage of Elders Are Abused?
Fifty-two diverse studies across 28 countries concluded that the prevalence rate for elder abuse was 15.7%. That means, overall, elder abuse affects 1 in 6 older adults globally or approximately 141 million people. Nearly 12% of seniors also experience psychological abuse; 6.8% experience financial abuse; 2.6% suffer physical abuse; and 0.9% have endured sexual abuse.
However, as a neglected global public health priority, a clear research gap exists in low-income and middle-income countries. Data from more sources may yield more detailed results based on factors like income and gender.
What Are the Forms of Elder Abuse?
Elder abuse can take many forms, with physical violence only accounting for a fraction of all abuses. The most prevalent types of elder abuse include the following.
Psychological Abuse
Though often overlooked, psychological and emotional abuse is a common issue that affects more than 1 in 10 elders. This type of abuse occurs when someone uses verbal or nonverbal acts to inflict anguish, pain, or distress on others. Examples include insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, isolation, harassment, and more.
Physical Abuse
According to the Older Americans Act, ‘‘physical harm’’ includes bodily injury, impairment, or disease. This harm becomes abuse when it is inflicted intentionally or recklessly. While physical abuse is often associated with acts like hitting, pushing, or kicking, it can also include the use of restraints, force-feeding, overmedicating, or undermedicating.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse can be any kind of nonconsensual sexual contact. This includes unwanted touching, sexual assault or battery, sexual harassment, or any sexual interaction with older individuals who are incapable of providing consent.
Neglect
A major issue faced by elders is neglect, which is especially detrimental to those who need assistance with daily tasks. Neglect occurs when a caregiver or fiduciary refuses any portion of an older person’s care, specifically, care necessary to maintain a senior’s health or safety. This includes failing to provide food, water, clothing, shelter, and medicine.
Financial Abuse
Given that older people may be likely to have accumulated wealth and assets, financial abuse can also be a common issue. This includes the illegal, unauthorized, or improper use of a senior’s benefits, resources, belongings, or assets for monetary gains or personal profit, as well as actions that deprive them of their rightful access to such things.
Examples include anything from stealing possessions to coercing or deceiving an older person into signing away their belongings.
Elder financial exploitation, fraud, and scams cost $61.5 billion in loss, including underreported cases in 2023.
Self-Neglect
When older individuals are cognitively or physically incapable of understanding their actions, they suffer a higher risk of self-neglect. This includes the inability to secure enough food, water, clothing, and shelter, as well as a lack of personal hygiene and medical or mental health care.
Abandonment
Similar to neglect, abandonment is the desertion of an older person by someone responsible for their care. This can be anyone from a nurse to the person who has physical custody of them and can occur in any public or private place.
Health Impact on Abuse Victims
Elderly abuse is considered a public health concern, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Elders are likely to develop mental illnesses such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), general anxiety disorder, or poor health conditions due to neglect and abuse.
Which Deficiency Crimes Are Reported Most?
U.S. nursing homes received 94,499 health citations in 2023. In these facilities, nearly 16% of residents have reported being abused, with as many as half of residents with dementia experiencing abuse. That’s significantly more than the estimated 10% of U.S. seniors who experience abuse outside of nursing homes and other care communities.
Of the citations filed in 2023, 27% came from quality of life and care deficiencies. The second and third-most common deficiency categories include resident rights deficiencies (15%) and resident assessment and care planning deficiencies (14%).
- National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) estimates that 1 million seniors suffer abuse or neglect each year across all types of long-term care facilities.
- Financial abuse committed by family or acquaintances is much less likely to be reported, with 87.5% of cases going unreported, compared to 33% of cases involving strangers.
- The top reasons for not reporting abuse include not wanting to trouble the abuser, fearing publicity, and lack of knowledge on how to report the issue.
Common Factors of Elder Abuse Across Care Facilities
Factors contributing to elder abuse in all care settings include:
- Inadequate staffing levels.
- Insufficient training for caregivers.
- High-stress working conditions lead to caregiver burnout.
Highest Elder Mistreatment Reports by State
A survey by RP Legal Group, derived from the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System, ranked states with the highest rates of elder mistreatment reports in the U.S.
Where Does Elder Abuse Occur Most?
Elder abuse rates are highest in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Despite government efforts, up to 40% of care facility providers report committing at least one instance of psychological abuse against residents within a 12-month period. More than half report yelling at residents, and 23% have swore at residents.
The most common type of abuse in these facilities is physical abuse, with 29% of residents experiencing it in some form. Other forms of abuse in care facilities include resident-to-resident abuse (22%), gross neglect (14%), financial abuse (7%), and sexual abuse (7%).
Risk Factors for Elder Abuse
Several key factors may contribute to the cause of elder abuse, including age, gender, or socioeconomic situation. According to research, elders who are socially isolated, have chronic disorders, or cognitive impairment, while perpetrators are mostly substance addicts, have a history of violence, or are stressed about their life. Elders who have dementia are highly likely to face financial fraud as well.
Elders who live alone are less likely to face abuse than those living in shared arrangements or with a caregiver.
Awareness and Training About Elder Abuse Detection
Studies have shown that educational training can significantly improve healthcare professionals' ability to recognize elder abuse. For instance, the research proved that trained nurses displayed a sixfold increase in identifying abuse cases compared to untrained ones.
However, gaps remain: only 25% of nurses could identify neglect, highlighting the need for more comprehensive education.
Currently, many gov-related organizations and law enforcement are working for the well-being of older adults in America. For example, the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) is a non-profit that supports APS professionals with resources, training, and advocacy to prevent abuse of older people.
What Are the Signs of Elder Abuse To Watch For?
Victims of elder abuse can be hard to spot, especially when their dependency or lack of physical or cognitive ability prevents them from reporting incidents. Fortunately, there are some key signs to watch out for:
- Physical injuries: If you notice any unexplained bruises, burns, cuts, scars, or untreated bedsores, these could all be signs of physical abuse and neglect.
- General neglect: Elders with poor hygiene, inadequate food and water, or dirty and inappropriate clothing may be suffering abuse.
- Lack of medical aids: Especially in nursing homes and hospitals, the prevalence of missing glasses, walkers, dentures, hearing aids, or medications can be signs of abuse.
- Physical deterioration: Elders with sunken eyes, unhealthy skin tones, bleeding, infections, or unexplained weight loss may be facing abuse.
- Behavioral signs: Dismissive attitudes or odd statements about injuries, unreasonable fear or suspicion, lack of interest in social activities, and uncharacteristic changes in behavior can all indicate abuse.
- Financial issues: Signs of insufficient care may manifest as unpaid bills, large withdrawals from bank accounts, or unusual ATM activity.
FAQs
What percentage of seniors are abused?
Approximately 15.7% of older people are abused globally. This is similar to the 16% of seniors abused in U.S. nursing homes and other care facilities. The rate of abuse in the U.S. outside of care facilities is around 10%.
What type of elder abuse is the most common?
The most common type of elder abuse globally is psychological, with 11.6% of older individuals experiencing some form of it. Another 6.8% experience financial abuse, while 2.6% suffer physical abuse, and 0.9% have been subject to sexual abuse.
Within U.S. nursing homes, the most common type of elder abuse is physical, with 29% of residents experiencing it in some form.
What actions are considered to be elder abuse?
Many different actions can be considered elder abuse, including:
- Psychological abuse
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Financial abuse
- Neglect
- Self-neglect
- Abandonment
What is passive neglect in seniors?
Passive neglect in older people occurs when a caregiver unintentionally fails to provide necessary care and support. This can include abandonment, denying food, and not providing essential health care because of lack of knowledge, illness, or disagreement about the value of offered services.
This form of neglect is distinct from active neglect and self-neglect. In the case of active neglect, the caretaker’s actions are intentional. Whereas self-neglect is due to an older individual’s inability to provide their own care needs, either due to physical or cognitive disability.
What types of evidence would you report for a case of elder abuse?
When elder abuse occurs, it’s important to report it right away. The types of evidence needed will depend on the type of case. For example, financial abuse may require bank statements and other documents that show instances of abuse. On the other hand, physical abuse can be documented with photographic evidence.
Overall, if you or a loved one is facing elder abuse, the best thing you can do is report it effectively. When speaking to authorities, include the following:
- The victim's name, phone number, and address
- The abuser's name (if known) or a description of the individual
- Description and extent of the abuse
- Specific signs of abuse you observed
- Details about the victim’s living conditions
- Information about the victim’s health, illnesses, and medications
- Whether the victim can make their own medical decisions
Bottom Line
Elder abuse remains a persistent issue, impacting millions globally. 15.7% of older adults worldwide — approximately 141 million people — experience some form of abuse.
In the U.S., around 1 in 10 seniors face abuse, with nursing home residents particularly vulnerable. Financially, seniors lost $61.5 billion to scams in 2023, yet 87.5% of financial abuse by family members goes unreported. Overall, only 1 in 24 incidents are reported, highlighting a major gap in addressing elder abuse issues.
Studies show that improving caregiver training can boost detection rates by 600%, making targeted interventions and stronger reporting mechanisms essential for protecting vulnerable elders.
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