Abuse of older persons: recognizing and responding to abuse of older persons in a global context

The report surveys the issues on abuse of older persons from a global perspective based on studies conducted in the past 20 years. Some studies have been conducted in more developed settings, whereas few studies have been carried out in less developed settings and in countries in social and economic transition. Furthermore, the majority of studies have been conducted in urban areas and little is known about abuse of older persons in rural areas. Existing studies have not paid enough attention to abuse of older persons in cultural subgroups as well as in less developed settings. Few studies have documented older people’s perceptions and experience of abuse.

The report looks at:

• the abuse of older persons is viewed in a human rights
• definitions and typologies, within the context of social, economic and cultural diversity
• intervention and prevention responses in different country settings
• estimates of the impact, consequences and costs of the abuse of older persons from limited available information
• suggestions on future policy responses and, in particular, rights of older persons, and, in particular, highlights the need for reliable information to strengthen current knowledge of issues on abuse of older persons.