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National Institute on Aging

Elder Abuse 

Gerald, 73, had a stroke. Unable to care for

himself, he moved in with his son’s family. His 

son, David, tried to help, but wasn’t home much 

during the work week. So, it was Gerald’s 

daughter-in-law, Frances, who cooked special 

meals and helped him bathe and dress. 

Frances was already busy taking care of two 

teenage boys and teaching third grade. 

At first, everyone was glad to have Gerald 

living with the family. But after a few months, 

Frances was feeling overwhelmed and began 

yelling at Gerald. Often, no one helped him 

get dressed until late in the day. Gerald was 

upset, but he didn’t know what to do.

Abuse can happen to anyone—no matter 

the person’s age, sex, race, religion, or 

ethnic or cultural background. Many 

older people are victims of elder abuse, 

sometimes called elder mistreatment. 

Abuse can happen in many places, 

including the older person’s home, a 

family member’s house, an assisted living 

facility, or a nursing home. 
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Types of Abuse

There are many types of abuse:

F Physical abuse happens when 

someone causes bodily harm by 

hitting, pushing, or slapping.

F Emotional abuse, sometimes called 

psychological abuse, can include 

a caregiver saying hurtful words, 

yelling, threatening, or repeatedly 

ignoring the older person. Keeping 

that person from seeing close friends 

and relatives is another form of 

emotional abuse. 

F Neglect occurs when the caregiver 

does not try to respond to the older 

person’s needs.

F Abandonment is leaving a senior 

alone without planning for his or 

her care.

F Sexual abuse involves a caregiver 

forcing an older adult to watch or 

be part of sexual acts.

Money Matters: Financial 

Abuse and Healthcare Fraud

After Victor’s mother died, he started looking 

after his elderly grandparents. Victor had them 

add his name to their bank account so he 

could pay their bills. For the past 6 months, 

Victor has been taking money from their 

account for his own use. He feels guilty, 

but tells himself that the money will soon 

be his anyway.

Financial abuse happens when 

money or belongings are stolen. It can 

include forging checks, taking someone 

else’s retirement and Social Security 

benefits, or using another person’s credit 

cards and bank accounts. It also includes 

changing names on a will, bank account, 

life insurance policy, or title to a house 

without permission from the older person. 

Financial abuse is becoming a widespread 

and hard-to-detect issue. Even someone 

you’ve never met can steal your financial 

information using the Internet or email. 

Be careful about sharing any financial 

information online—you don’t know 

who sees it. 

Healthcare fraud can be committed by 

doctors, hospital staff, and other healthcare 

workers. It includes overcharging, billing 

twice for the same service, falsifying 

Medicaid or Medicare claims, or charging 

for care that wasn’t provided. Older adults 

and caregivers should keep an eye out for 

this type of fraud. 

Who Is Being Abused?

Most victims of abuse are women, but 

some are men. Likely targets are older 

people who have no family or friends 

nearby and people with disabilities, 

memory problems, or dementia.
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Abuse can happen to any older 

person, but often affects those who 

depend on others for help with 

activities of everyday life—including 

bathing, dressing, and taking 

medicine. People who are frail may 

appear to be easy victims.

What Are Signs of Abuse?

Two years ago, the doctor diagnosed Eduardo’s 

mother with end-stage renal disease. When she 

needed more help, he moved her into a nearby 

nursing home. For the past few months, she’s 

been depressed and withdrawn. Eduardo 

doesn’t like the way a nurse talks to his mother.

You may see signs of abuse or neglect 

when you visit an older person at home 

or in an eldercare facility. You may 

notice the person:

F Has trouble sleeping

F Seems depressed or confused

F Loses weight for no reason

F Displays signs of trauma, like rocking 

back and forth

F Acts agitated or violent

F Becomes withdrawn

F Stops taking part in activities he or 

she enjoys

F Has unexplained bruises, burns, 

or scars

F Looks messy, with unwashed hair or 

dirty clothes

F Develops bed sores or other 

preventable conditions

If you see signs of abuse, try talking 

with the older person to find out what’s 

going on. For instance, the abuse may 

be from another resident and not from 

someone who works at the nursing 

home or assisted living facility. Most 

importantly, get help. 

Who Can Help?

Elder abuse will not stop on its own. 

Someone else needs to step in and help. 

Many older people are too ashamed to 

report mistreatment. Or, they’re afraid if 

they make a report it will get back to the 

abuser and make the situation worse. 

If you think someone you know is 

being abused—physically, emotionally, 

or financially—talk with him or her when

the two of you are alone. You could say

you think something is wrong and you’re

worried. Offer to take him or her to 

get help, for instance, at a local adult 

protective services agency.

Many local, state, and national social 

service agencies can help with emotional, 

legal, and financial problems.

 The Administration for Community 

Living has a National Center on Elder 

Abuse where you can learn about how 
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to report abuse, where to get help, and

state laws that deal with abuse and neglect. 

Go to www.ncea.aoa.gov for more 

information. Or, call the Eldercare 

Locator weekdays at 1-800-677-1116.

Most states require that doctors 

and lawyers report elder mistreatment. 

Family and friends can also report it. 

Do not wait. Help is available. 

If you think someone is in urgent 

danger, call 911 or your local police 

to get help right away. 

Caregiver Stress—You’re Not Alone

Caring for an older person can be rewarding. It’s also demanding, difficult, and often

stressful work. The caregiver may need to be available around the clock to fix meals,

provide nursing care, take care of laundry and cleaning, drive to doctors’ appointments, 

and pay bills. Often, family caregivers need to give up paying jobs so that they have 

time for these new responsibilities. 

It may be hard to keep a positive outlook when there’s little hope of the older person’s

physical and mental condition improving. Over time, the demands and stress of 

caregiving can take their toll. A caregiver might not even know he or she is being 

neglectful or abusive. 

If you are a caregiver, make sure you have time to rest and take care of your needs. 

You can ask a family member or friend to help out for a weekend, or even for a 

few hours, so that you can take some time for yourself. Or, some community service 

organizations provide caregivers a break, called respite care. You might also consider 

joining a caregiving support group if you are feeling overwhelmed. Exercise could 

even help with stress.

What Is the Long-Term Effect 

of Abuse?

Most physical wounds heal in time. 

But any type of mistreatment can leave 

the abused person feeling fearful and 

depressed. Sometimes, the victim 

thinks the abuse is his or her fault. 

Protective services agencies can suggest 

support groups and counseling that 

can help the abused person heal the 

emotional wounds.
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For More Information About 

Elder Abuse and Where to 

Get Help 

Eldercare Locator

1-800-677-1116

www.eldercare.gov

Family Caregiver Alliance

1-800-445-8106 (toll-free)

info@caregiver.org (email) 

www.caregiver.org

National Adult Protective Services 

Association

1-217-523-4431

www.napsa-now.org

National Center on Elder Abuse

1-855-500-3537 (toll-free)

ncea@med.usc.edu (email)

www.ncea.aoa.gov

National Committee for the 

Prevention of Elder Abuse

1-202-464-9481

info@preventelderabuse.org (email)

www.preventelderabuse.org/elderabuse

National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-7233 (toll-free, 24/7)

1-800-787-3224 (TTY/toll-free)

www.thehotline.org/get-help

National Family Caregiver Support 

Program

Administration on Aging

1-202-619-0724

aclinfo@acl.hhs.gov (email)

www.aoa.acl.gov/AoA_Programs/HCLTC/

Caregiver

National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus: Elder Abuse

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/elderabuse.html

National Long-Term Care 

Ombudsman Resource Center

1-202-332-2275

info@theconsumervoice.org (email)

www.ltcombudsman.org

Stop Medicare Fraud: Prevent Fraud

www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/preventfraud

U.S. Department of Justice

1-202-514-2000

elder.justice@usdoj.gov (email)

www.justice.gov/elderjustice

WellSpouse® Association

1-800-838-0879 (toll-free)

info@wellspouse.org (email)

www.wellspouse.org
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For information on health and aging, 

including resources on caregiving and 

Alzheimer’s disease, contact:

National Institute on Aging

Information Center

P.O. Box 8057

Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057

1-800-222-2225 (toll-free)

1-800-222-4225 (toll-free/TTY)

niaic@nia.nih.gov (email)

www.nia.nih.gov

www.nia.nih.gov/espanol

To order publications (in English or 

Spanish) or sign up for regular email 

alerts about new publications and other 

information from the NIA, go to 

www.nia.nih.gov/health.

Visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov, a seniorfriendly website from the National 

Institute on Aging and the National 

Library of Medicine. This website has 

health and wellness information for 

older adults. Special features make it 

simple to use. For example, you can click 

on a button to make the type larger.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®

February 2015

National Institute

on Aging