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The senior population is defined as those ages 65 and older. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, between 1 and 2 million seniors are victims of crimes. This population is at increased risk of victimization due to a number of reasons including:

  • Family stress
  • Social isolation
  • Personal problems of the caregiver
  • Marital stress
  • Financial burden
  • Vulnerability/Dependency.
Statistics show many times victims are female, over 75 years old and dependant on a spouse, relative or friend to provide care, food and shelter. The abuser is likely to be a spouse or adult child who lives in the same house and is responsible for providing care to the senior.

Elder abuse includes any of the following:

  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Emotional or psychological abuse
  • Neglect
  • Abandonment
  • Financial or material exploitation
  • Self-neglect
  • Consumer scams

    • Physical abuse: the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, pain or impairment including hitting, beating, pushing, shoving , shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching, burning, physical punishment or force-feeding. Signs of physical abuse include:

    • Unexplained bruises, cuts or marks
    • Fractures
    • Swelling
    • Welts or pain
    • Sunken eyes

    Sexual abuse: any non-consensual contact with a senior. This can include unwanted touching, sexual assault, rape, sodomy, coerced nudity and sexually explicit photographing. If you suspect sexual abuse, look for:

    • Bruises around the breasts and genital area
    • Unexplained venereal disease or genital infections
    • Unexplained vaginal or anal bleeding
    • Torn, stained or bloody underclothing
    • A senior's self-report of being sexually assaulted or raped

    Emotional or Psychological abuse: the infliction of anguish, pain or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts such as verbal assaults, insults, intimidation, humiliation, harassment. A senior who is emotional or psychological abused may be:

    • Emotionally upset or easily agitated
    • Withdrawn and non-communicative or non-responsive
    • Depressed
    • Passive
    • Afraid
    • Guilty
    • Hesitant to speak openly
    • Denying problems
    • Showing unusual behavior (biting or rocking)
    • Reporting abuse

    Neglect: intentionally failing to care for a senior who cannot care for themselves. This may also include the failure to pay for or provide necessary home care services. Look for:

    • Dehydration, malnutrition, bed sores, poor hygiene
    • Weight loss
    • Untreated health problems
    • Unsafe living conditions
    • Unsanitary and unclean living conditions
    • Not providing necessary medication
    • Over medicating

    Abandonment: the desertion of a senior by a caregiver. These symptoms may include:

    • Desertion of a senior at a hospital or nursing facility
    • Desertion of a senior in a public place

    Financial or Material Exploitation: taking advantage of and misusing the financial resources of a senior. Look for:

    • Unexplained changes in banking accounts or unusually large transactions
    • Forged signatures on bank documents
    • Unexplained transfer of money or assets to caregiver
    • Unpaid bills
    • Overcharging for goods or services
    • Missing property and/or money/checks

    Self-neglect: those who are able to make a conscious decision to engage in behaviors that may be harmful to oneself. This includes:

    • Refusal or failure to provide adequate food, water and shelter to oneself
    • Unsafe living conditions
    • Inadequate clothing
    • Lack of proper medical necessities

    Consumer Scams: can include sweepstakes offerings, which promise winnings only if something is purchased. These scams also include request for donations from companies that cannot identify their credential, and credit repair scams. Please see personal safety tips for more information about consumer scams and ways to protect yourself.

National Elder Abuse Statistics
  • Between 1 and 2 million Americans aged 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care and protection.

  • 1 in 14 incidents excluding incidents of self-neglects, are brought to the attention of the authorities.

  • Financial exploitation accounts for 1 in every 25 elder abuse cases, making 5 million victims of financial abuse. Many of these cases go unreported.

  • Pennsylvania ranks fifth nationally in the number of reported cases of elder abuse. This is partly due to Pennsylvania's overwhelming population of 1,912,200 men and women over 65.

  • Adult children are the largest perpetrators of elder abuse committing 47.3% of these crimes. Spouses contribute to 19.3% of the incidents; relatives commit 8.8% of abuse, and grandchildren 8.6%.

  • Males are more likely to be perpetrators of physical abuse. Women are more likely to be perpetrators of neglect and financial abuse.

  • Spousal homicide accounts for 30% of murders of women over 65.
References: The National Center for Victims of Crime; National Clearinghouse on Family Violence; National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA); National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse