Elder Abuse: How to Recognise It, Report It, and Get Help
Elder abuse is far more common than most people realise, and it is frequently perpetrated by people the older adult knows and trusts. This guide helps older adults, family members, and carers recognise the signs and take the right steps.
The Abuse That Is Rarely Talked About
Elder abuse is one of the most underreported forms of abuse in the UK. Research suggests that around half a million older people in England experience some form of abuse each year, yet the vast majority of cases are never reported to any authority. The reasons for this silence are multiple: shame, fear of not being believed, fear of losing independence or being placed in care, deep loyalty to a perpetrator who may be a family member, and in some cases the cognitive impairment that both increases vulnerability and reduces the ability to disclose.
Understanding what elder abuse is, how to recognise it, and what to do if you suspect it, whether as an older adult experiencing it or as someone concerned about a relative, is the necessary starting point for addressing a problem that thrives in silence.
What Elder Abuse Includes
Elder abuse encompasses a range of behaviours that cause harm to older adults. Physical abuse involves hitting, pushing, restraining, or otherwise causing physical harm. Emotional and psychological abuse involves intimidation, humiliation, threats, isolation, and behaviour that undermines the person's sense of self-worth and autonomy. Financial abuse, which is the most commonly reported form, involves misusing, stealing, or controlling an older person's money, assets, or property without their consent. This ranges from taking cash to forging signatures on documents to pressuring someone into changing their will.
Sexual abuse involves sexual contact or behaviour without consent. Neglect involves failing to provide adequate food, warmth, medical care, or personal care for someone who depends on others for these things. Discriminatory abuse involves treating someone less well on the basis of a characteristic such as their disability, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Institutional abuse occurs within care settings, when poor practices or a culture of disrespect systematically harm the people being cared for.
Crucially, elder abuse is most often perpetrated not by strangers but by people the older adult knows: family members, carers, friends, neighbours, and people in positions of trust. This makes it much harder to recognise and much harder to report, particularly when the older person feels loyal to, or dependent on, the perpetrator.
Warning Signs
No single sign is conclusive, and many have innocent explanations. A cluster of signs, particularly alongside a specific relationship, warrants serious attention. Physical signs include unexplained injuries, bruises at different stages of healing, dehydration or malnutrition without a medical cause, and poor personal hygiene in someone who was previously well-maintained. Emotional signs include the older person seeming fearful or withdrawn, becoming anxious in the presence of a specific person, or showing changes in mood or personality that coincide with a particular relationship or living arrangement.
Financial warning signs include unexplained withdrawals from bank accounts, unpaid bills despite an apparently adequate income, changes to wills or power of attorney that the person does not seem to fully understand or endorse, and a carer or family member who is unusually interested in the older person's finances. Behavioural signs include the older person not being allowed to speak for themselves, a carer who insists on being present for all conversations, and an older person who seems afraid to say what they actually think or want.
If You Are Experiencing Abuse
If you are an older adult experiencing abuse, you are not to blame, and what is happening to you is not acceptable regardless of who is doing it or what your relationship is with them. You have the right to be safe and to receive help.
If you are in immediate danger, call 999. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact your local adult safeguarding team through your local council, or ask your GP to make a referral. The Action on Elder Abuse helpline (0808 808 8141) provides confidential support and advice. The Hourglass charity (formerly Action on Elder Abuse) specifically supports victims of elder abuse and can help you understand your options.
If you are concerned about losing your independence or being moved into care as a consequence of reporting, this is a concern that can be discussed with a safeguarding professional. The safeguarding process is designed to protect your wellbeing and your rights, including your right to make decisions about your own life, not simply to remove you from a situation without your involvement.
If You Are Concerned About Someone Else
If you are worried about an older relative, friend, or neighbour, you can report a concern to the local council's adult safeguarding team without the consent of the older adult. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and you do not need to be certain that abuse is occurring before raising a concern. The team will investigate and will involve the older adult in the process wherever possible.
If the older person does not want you to report, this is a difficult situation that does not have an easy answer. Where the person has full mental capacity, their right to make their own decisions, including the decision not to report, is generally respected. Where there are concerns about capacity, the Mental Capacity Act provides a framework for acting in the person's best interests. In either case, a conversation with the local safeguarding team can help you understand the options and decide how to proceed.
Reporting elder abuse is not a betrayal of the older person, even when the abuser is a family member. It is an act of care. Silence is what allows abuse to continue.