Abuse of Older People

Around one in six older people experience some form of abuse, a figure higher than previously estimated and predicted to rise as populations age worldwide. A new study, supported by World Health Organization (WHO) and published in the Lancet Global Health, found that almost 16% of people aged 60 years and older were subjected to psychological abuse (11.6%), financial abuse (6.8%), neglect (4.2%), physical abuse (2.6%) or sexual abuse (0.9%). The research draws on the best available evidence from 52 studies in 28 countries from different regions, WHO website reported. “The abuse of older people is on the rise; for the 141 million older people worldwide this has serious individual and societal costs,” says Alana Officer, WHO senior health adviser, Department of Ageing and Life Course. “We must do much more to prevent and respond to the increasing frequency of different forms of abuse.”