Preventing Elder Abuse 

What is elder abuse?

Elder abuse is an intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult. An older adult is 

someone age 60 or older. The abuse occurs at the hands of a caregiver or a person the elder trusts. Common types of elder 

abuse include:1

Physical abuse is when an elder experiences illness, pain, injury, functional impairment, distress or death as a result of the 

intentional use of physical force and includes acts such as hitting, kicking, pushing, slapping, and burning.

Sexual abuse involves forced or unwanted sexual interaction of any kind with an older adult. This may include attempted or 

completed unwanted sexual contact or penetration or non-contact acts such as verbal sexual harassment.

Emotional or Psychological Abuse refers to verbal or nonverbal behaviors that inflict anguish, mental pain, fear, or distress 

on an older adult. Examples include humiliation or disrespect, verbal and non-verbal threats, harassment, and geographic or 

interpersonal isolation. 

Neglect is the failure to meet an older adult’s basic needs. These needs include food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and 

essential medical care.

Financial Abuse is the illegal, unauthorized, or improper use of an elder’s money, benefits, belongings, property, or assets 

for the benefit of someone other than the older adult. 

In the following section, physical forms of elder abuse will be examined in more detail.

How big is the problem?

Elder abuse is a serious problem in the United States. The available information is an underestimate of the problem because the 

number of nonfatal injuries is limited to older adults who are treated in emergency departments. The information doesn’t include 

those treated by other providers or those that do not need or do not seek treatment. Additionally, many cases are not reported 

because elders are afraid or unable to tell police, friends, or family about the violence. Victims have to decide whether to tell 

someone they are being hurt or continue being abused by someone they depend upon or care for deeply. 

Elder abuse is common. Abuse, including neglect and exploitation, are experienced by about 1 in 10 people aged 60 and older 

who lives at home.2 From 2002 to 2016, more than 643,000 older adults were treated in the emergency department for nonfatal 

assaults and over 19,000 homicides occurred.3

Some groups have higher rates of abuse than others. Compared with women, men had higher rates of both nonfatal assaults 

and homicides.3,4 The rate for nonfatal assaults increased more than 75% among men (2002–2016) and more than 35% among 

women (2007–2016). The estimated homicide rate for men increased 7% from 2010 to 2016.3 Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, 

non-Hispanic Black or African American persons, non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan Natives, and Hispanic or Latino persons 

have higher homicide rates (2002–2016).3

Overall and firearm-specific older adult homicide rates increased between 2014 and 2017. Of the 6188 victims, 62% were male. 

The perpetrator was an intimate partner in 39% of firearm homicides and 12% of non-firearm homicides. Common contexts of 

firearm homicides were familial/intimate partner problems, robbery/burglary, argument, and illness-related (e.g., the homicide 

was perpetrated to end the suffering of an ill victim, both victim and perpetrator had an illness, or the perpetrator had a mental 

illness).4

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

Division of Violence Prevention

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What are the consequences?

Elder abuse can have several physical and emotional effects on an older adult. Victims are 

fearful and anxious. They may have problems with trust and be wary of others.5Many 

victims suffer physical injuries. Some are minor, like cuts, scratches, bruises, and welts. 

Others are more serious and can cause lasting disabilities. These include head injuries, 

broken bones, constant physical pain, and soreness. Physical injuries can also lead to 

premature death and make existing health problems worse. 

4,5,6,7,8

How can we prevent elder abuse?

There are a number of factors that may increase or decrease the risk for perpetrating and/

or experiencing elder abuse. To prevent elder abuse, we must understand and address the 

factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence.

We can all help prevent elder abuse:9

Listen to older adults and their caregivers to understand their 

challenges and provide support.

Report abuse or suspected abuse to local adult protective services, 

long-term care ombudsman, or the police. Use the National Center 

on Elder Abuse Listing of State Elder Abuse Hotlines (https://

ncea.acl.gov/Resources/State.aspx) to find your state’s reporting 

numbers, government agencies, state laws, and other resources. 

Educate oneself and others about how to recognize and report 

elder abuse. 

Learn how the signs of elder abuse differ from the normal aging 

process.

Check in on older adults who may have few friends and family 

members.

Provide over-burdened caregivers with support such as help 

from friends, family, or local relief care groups; adult day care 

programs; counseling; outlets intended to promote emotional 

well-being.

Encourage and assist persons (either caregivers or older adults) 

having problems with drug or alcohol abuse in getting help.

The older adult population is growing faster in the U.S. than are younger populations. 

Many older adults require care and are vulnerable to violence perpetrated by a caregiver 

or someone they trust. More research is needed to uncover the causes for, and solutions to, 

violence against older adults.

References

1. Hall JE, Karch DL, Crosby AE. Elder 

Abuse Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Core Data 

Elements For Use In Elder Abuse 

Surveillance, Version 1.0. Atlanta 

(GA): National Center for Injury 

Prevention and Control, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, 

2016. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/ea_book_revised_2016.pdf.

2. Acierno R, Hernandez MA, Amstadter AB, Resnick HS, Steve K, Muzzy 

W, Kilpatrick DG. (2010).Prevalence 

and Correlates of Emotional, 

Physical, Sexual, and Financial 

Abuse and Potential Neglect in the 

United States: The National Elder 

Mistreatment Study. American 

Journal of Public Health; 100:292–7. 

doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.2105%-

2FAJPH.2009.163089”10.2105/

AJPH.2009.163089.

3. Logan JE, Haileyesus T, Ertl A, Rostad WL, Herbst JH. Nonfatal Assaults 

and Homicides Among Adults Aged 

≥60 Years – United States, 2002-

2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly 

Rep. 2019 Apr 5;68(13):297-302. doi: 

10.15585/mmwr.mm6813a1.

4. Shawon R, Adhia A, DeCou C et al. 

(2021). Characteristics and patterns 

of older adult homicides in the 

United States. Inj. Epidemiol. 8(5). 

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-

021-00299-w. 

5. Anetzberger, G. The Clinical Management of Elder Abuse. New York: 

Hawthorne Press, 2004.

6. American Medical Association 

white paper on elderly health. 

Report of the Council on Scientific 

Affairs. (1990). Archives of internal 

medicine, 150(12), 2459–2472.

7. Lachs MS, Williams CS, O’Brien S, 

et. al. (1998). The Mortality of Elder 

Mistreatment. Journal of the American Medical Association; 280:428-

32. doi: 10.1001/jama.280.5.428.

8. Lindbloom EJ, Brandt J, Hough L, 

Meadows SE. (2007). Elder Mistreatment in the Nursing Home: A 

Systematic Review. Journal of the 

American Medical Directors Association; 8(9):610-16. doi: 10.1016/j.

jamda.2007.09.001.

9. Fearing G, Sheppard CL, McDonald 

L, Beaulieu M, Hitzig SL. (2017). A 

systematic review on community-based interventions for elder 

abuse and neglect. J Elder Abuse 

Negl.; 29(2-3): 102-133. doi: 10.1080

/08946566.2017.1308286.

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636) • www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention

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