How many incidents of elder abuse are there each year?
ANSWER The extent of elder abuse is not completely known, but it is widely agreed that the problem affects a significant number of older persons. The National Aging Resource Center on Elder Abuse (now the National Center of Elder Abuse) estimated that 820,000 elders became victims of elder abuse in 1994, excluding self-neglecting elders. Adding self-neglecting elders raised the number of victims to 1.86 million. It is also expected that the number of reported cases will grow. The nation’s elderly population is growing at a much greater rate than any other segment. As people live longer, frailty and vulnerability increase, along with the potential to become victims of abuse, fraud and exploitation. In addition, recent initiatives by government agencies and by professional organizations have expanded awareness of elder abuse and fostered increased reporting. The National Center of Elder Abuse reports that there was a 106 percent increase in the number of reported cases between 1986 and 1
