Elder Abuse: The Hidden Epidemic

Elder abuse is a major public health problem. Prior to the pandemic, approximately 1 in 10 older adults in the United States experienced elder mistreatment. In 2020, this number doubled to 1 in 5, a nearly 84% increase (Liu, 2022). More distressing is that in almost 60% of elder abuse and neglect cases, a family member is the offender and two-thirds of the perpetrators are adult children or spouses (Nursing Home Justice Team, 2021). Financial abuse is reportedly the fastest-growing form of elder abuse with theft scams at the forefront (Hillendahl, 2022). It is essential that healthcare providers, especially those who care for patients in their homes, understand what elder abuse is, how it can be identified, what conditions may lead to elder abuse, and what home care providers can do to properly intervene when it is suspected that older adults are being abused.