Every 5 seconds an elderly person is abused in the USA! And for every one reported 5 aren't.

I
am 75 and, in spite of what some people may think, am in good mental
and physical health LOL I live by myself in a senior residential
community with about 300 people and we sort of look after each other. It
is more common than most people think but their children neglect
them--many become lonely and turn to alcohol which is a big problem for
the elderly. Another problem is that more than once a person has had a
stroke and weren't found for hours. We have tried to have some sort of
buddy system but you can't call someone every hour or knock on their
door--since most are poor and are unable to afford the monthly fee for
the 'alarm' system available for individuals we are still working on
various solutions.
If anyone can offer a solution we are willing to try it!

What Do the Studies Say?

Prevalence
 According to the best available estimates,
between 1 and 2 million Americans age 65
or older have been injured, exploited, or
otherwise mistreated by someone on
whom they depended for care or
protection.
(Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and
Exploitation in an Aging America. 2003.
Washington, DC: National Research Council Panel
to Review Risk NOTICE DATE OF THIS REPORT It has gotten much worse since then.


 How
big is the problem? No one knows for certain because relatively few
cases are identified. Research indicates that more than one in ten elder
may experience some type of abuse, but only one in five cases or fewer
are reported. This means that very few seniors who have been abused get
the help they need.

1. What is elder abuse? Elder abuse is a term
referring to any knowing, intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver
or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a
vulnerable adult. The specificity of laws varies from state to state,
but broadly defined, abuse may be:
Physical Abuse - Inflicting, or
threatening to inflict, physical pain or injury on a vulnerable elder,
or depriving them of a basic need.
Emotional Abuse - Inflicting mental pain, anguish, or distress on an elder person through verbal or nonverbal acts.
Sexual Abuse - Non-consensual sexual contact of any kind.
Exploitation - Illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a vulnerable elder.
Neglect - Refusal or failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care or protection for a vulnerable elder.
Abandonment - The desertion of a vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody of that person.

Substantiated Reports, Victims Aged 60+
· States reported that 65.7% of elder abuse victims were female (15 states).
· Of the victims aged 60+, 42.8% were 80 years of age and older (20 states).
· The majority of victims were Caucasian (77.1%) (13 states).
· The vast majority (89.3%) of elder abuse reports occurred in domestic settings (13 states).
Substantiated Reports, Alleged Perpetrators of Victims Aged 60+
· States reported that 52.7% of alleged perpetrators of abuse were female (11 states).
The most common relationships of victims to alleged perpetrators were adult child (32.6%)
and other family member (21.5%) (11 states).

FOR MORE INFORMATION
https://www.ncea.aoa.gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/Resources/Newsletter/2011/March.pdf

https://www.ncea.aoa.gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/FAQ/Questions.aspx

https://elder-abuse-spotlight.blogspot.com/2011/01/grannycam-video-spurs-stat-to-shut-fair.html

https://www.ncea.aoa.gov/NCEAroot/Main_Site/pdf/2-14-06%20FINAL%2060+REPORT.pdf