Elder abuse occurs when older men or women are harmed, mistreated or neglected. Like child abuse, it is a real problem.

Help the Aged aims to increase awareness of elder abuse among decision makers, service providers and older people, so that abuse does not go unrecognised.

If you work in health or social care and believe that an older person is being mistreated, speak to your line manager immediately. Do not keep it to yourself. You may want to refer to local procedures on adult protection for your agency.

You may be very worried about talking about what is happening, but this is likely to be better than continuing to be mistreated. You owe it to yourself to seek help from a trusted friend or relative or from a health or care professional to whom you can speak in confidence and discuss your options.

Make sure you know what elder abuse is, how to recognise it, and how to get help.

Download the Elder Abuse leaflet (PDF)
Download the Elder Abuse leaflet (text)