Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.
- Elder abuse most often takes place in the home where the senior lives. It can also happen in institutional settings, especially long-term care facilities.^[The Council on Elder Abuse. “What is Elder Abuse?”. http://www.councilonelderabuse.org/education.php?PageTitle=What%20is%20Elder%20Abuse?&SPID=10&PCID=4#.VF0A3ot4oqQ. Accessed Nov 7th 2014.]
- It is estimated that more than 1 in 10 older adults experience some form of abuse.^[Associated Living Federation of America. “Elder Abuse Facts”. www.alfa.org/document.asp?docid=261. Accessed Nov 7th, 2014.]
- In an 1985 workshop, researchers stated that two dominant characteristics of American society were to blame for the prevalence of elder abuse: ageism and violence. Fight ageism by recreating an old photo of a badass senior. Sign up for Past Picture Perfect.^[Kosberg, Jordan and Garcia, Juanita. “Elder Abuse: International and Cross-Cultural Perspectives”. New York: Routledge, 2013.]
- Most victims are dependent on their abuser for basic needs.^[National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence. “Elder Abuse Information”. http://www.nccafv.org/elder.htm. Updated Nov 1st, 2014. (Accessed Nov 7th, 2014)]
- The most common form of abuse is financial exploitation, with physical abuse, neglect and emotional abuse following.^[Associated Living Federation of America. “Elder Abuse Facts”. www.alfa.org/document.asp?docid=261. Accessed Nov 7th, 2014.]
- Seniors who have been abused have a 300% higher risk of death in the next 3 years compared to those who weren’t.^[Associated Living Federation of America. “Elder Abuse Facts”. www.alfa.org/document.asp?docid=261. Accessed Nov 7th, 2014.]
- In almost 90% of elder abuse and neglect incidents, the perpetrator is a family member. 2/3 of perpetrators are adult children or spouses.^[National Council on Aging. “FAQ’s on Elder Abuse”. http://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/elder-justice/faqs-on-elder-abuse.html. Accessed Nov 7th, 2014.]
- For every reported incident of elder abuse, 5 others go unreported.^[National Center on Elder Abuse. “Elder Abuse Prevalence and Incidence”. http://www.ncea.aoa.gov/resources/publication/docs/finalstatistics050331.pdf. Accessed Nov 7th, 2014.]
- In 2000, states were asked to indicate the number of elder/adult reports received in the most recent year for which data were available. The total number of reports was 472,813.^[A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults: The 2000 Survey of State Adult Protective Services. 2003. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse.]
- Passive neglect is a form of abuse in which a caregiver neglects to provide the victim with basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, or medical care.^[National Council on Aging. “FAQ’s on Elder Abuse”. http://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/elder-justice/faqs-on-elder-abuse.html. Accessed Nov 7th, 2014.]
- Legislatures in all 50 states have passed some type of elder abuse law.^[American Bar. “Adult Protective Services, Institutional Abuse and Long Term Care Ombudsman Program Laws: Citations, by State” http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/aging/about/pdfs/APS_IA_LTCOP_Citations_Chart.authcheckdam.pdf/. (2007)Accessed Nov 7th, 2014.]
