One In Ten Seniors Are Victims Of Elder Abuse

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - This is definitely not a pleasant topic to discuss but the National Center On Elder Abuse thinks it is very important to make the public aware of the fact that 1 out of 10 older adults experiences some form of abuse or neglect by a caregiver each year.

I think that it is crucial to say that 9 out of 10 caregivers provide love and compassion and provide the best care they can, but the fact that abuse is occurring and the fact it is widely unreported to authorities is crucial to know.

Abuse occurs most often in domestic situations and people over 75 have greater risk factors such as shared living arrangements, cognitive impairment and social isolation from family and friends.