What You Can Do About Elder Abuse Alaina Williams | Jul 3, 2012,
2:48 p.m. In a recent study cited by the Agency on Aging,
approximately 11 percent of US seniors surveyed had experienced
some type of abuse or potential neglect during the previous
year. Additionally, writes the National Center for Victims of
Crime, older adults suffer greater physical, psychological, and
financial loss when victimized compared with younger victims.
For example, a study done by the MetLife Mature Market Institute
found that older Americans lose an estimated minimum of $2.9
billion annually due to elder abuse. However, it is suspected
that the abuse is underreported. The National Center on Elder
Abuse at American Public Human Services Association suggests
that elder abuse is both under-identified and under-reported- it
is possible that as few as 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse are
reported. What is Elder Abuse? Elder Abuse refers to intentional
or neglectful acts by caregiver or trusted individual that leads
to, or may lead to, har