Because the population of many countries is aging, it is expected that this crime will grow in incidence. They are a favourite target of cons or extortionists. This includes rough handling or restricting the movement of elders. A common misperception about elder abuse is that is limited mainly to institutions where elderly residents are subjected to impatient treatment from staff.
Unrelated caregivers are responsible for less than a quarter of elder abuse cases.
Another misconception is that the victim is usually handicapped in some way. Again, this is not the case. Abused elders are no more, no less functionally disabled than those elders who are not abused. The victim of elder abuse was female in about two-thirds of the cases. This negative attitude is quite prevalent and seriously obstructs a generalized appreciation of the problem of elder abuse within society at large.