Tomorrow is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. According to the National Council on Aging, approximately 1 in 10 elder Americans (age 60 and over) have experienced some form of elder abuse. The organization says, “some estimates range as high as 5 million elders who are abused each year. One study estimated that only 1 in 14 cases of abuse are reported to authorities.” [retrieved: https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/elder-justice/elder-abuse-facts retrieved 6/14/18]

National Elder Abuse Statistics

Among elder Americans, those most vulnerable to abuse are those with mental impairment (dementia) or physical disabilities and those socially isolated. Abusers of elder adults may be men or women. In about 60% of cases, the abuser is a family member. Two-thirds of those abusers are adult children or spouses. [www.ncoa.org]

Elder abuse may take a number of forms, including:

• Physical abuse (inflicting physical pain or injury)
• Emotional abuse (verbal assaults, threats of abuse, harassment, intimidation)
• Confinement (restraining or isolating other than for medical reasons)
• Neglect (failure to provide life’s necessities, including food, clothing, shelter, medical care)
• Willful deprivation (denying medication, medical care, shelter, food, a therapeutic device, assistance, and exposing to risk of physical or emotional harm)
• Financial abuse (misuse or withholding of resources)
• Sexual abuse (sexual activity with an adult unable to understand, unwilling to consent, threatened, or forced).

[Source: https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/elder-justice/elder-abuse-facts retrieved 6/14/18] [Read more…]