Over the age of 60, thousands of elder or adults are abused, neglected, or financially exploited each year. One out of every ten elders who lived at home, experienced the elder abuse. This estimation is still not clear, as many victims are unable or afraid to disclose or report the violence. This includes emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and neglect.

Elder abuse is any kind of mistreatment with elders by their family members, relatives,  spouses, staff at nursing homes, assisted living, and other facilities, that results in harm or loss to an older person. Abusers of older adult are both men and women. Elder Abuse is a global social problem that affects the health and human rights of millions of older persons around the world.

There are 300% higher risk of death in elders who have been abused, as compared to a person who lived a normal life. However, most states have penalties for those who victimize older adults. Government takes several steps to prevent elder such as evaluating prevention products, conducting research, counseling for victims, building support networks, safety planning and so on. Legal assistance is also needed in some abuse cases. These steps play a vital on the road to recover; physically and mentally.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated June 15 as “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day”. That day aims to focus global attention on the problem of elder abuse including physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders.