What is elder abuse and why does it happen?
Elder abuse is an action, or lack of action, which causes harm to an older person in a relationship where there is an expectation of trust. There are five main types of abuse: physical, psychological, financial, sexual or neglect. An older person may either suffer from only one form of abuse, or different types of abuse at the same time.

There is no such thing as a typical abuser; many different factors can trigger abuse. The person abusing could be a partner, child or relative; a friend or neighbour; a volunteer worker; or a health, social care or other worker.

Abuse can occur in many different settings; in an individual's own home, in a day centre, in a residential or nursing home, in a hospital or elsewhere.

Elder abuse occurs for many reasons and the causes are not yet fully understood. Some abuse is unintentional - for example physical harm might be caused because someone lacks the training to lift the older person correctly. Lack of knowledge and understanding or frustration can also lead to mistreatment. But some people harm others deliberately. A vulnerable older person, such as one suffering from dementia, may be seen as an easy target or as someone who will not be believed.

Other factors can be a history of a poor quality long-term relationship between the person being abused and the person committing the abuse. There could be a pattern of family violence where the person who abuses may have been abused as a child; or the person who abuses is dependent upon the older person for accommodation, financial or emotional support.

Why is Help the Aged launching a campaign to help stop elder abuse?
500,000 are believed to be abused at any one time in the UK. Calls to the Action on Elder Abuse helpline indicate that much of this abuse takes place in people's own homes, by someone they trust. Help the Aged believes that this must stop, which is why we are launching a campaign on elder abuse, in partnership with Action on Elder Abuse. Older people have the right to live free from fear and harm.

Help the Aged has a vision of a society where disadvantaged older people are free from poverty, isolation and neglect. This is a society without elder abuse.

How will Help the Aged aim to tackle elder abuse?
As part of our campaign we will be calling for action to tackle abuse from across Government. We will be seeking changes in a number of areas. This includes:

• Access to independent advocacy for older people so that they can speak out about abuse and can get support.
• Increased awareness of elder abuse within law enforcement agencies such as the Crown Prosecution Service.

The campaign will also focus on raising awareness of elder abuse and providing public information about it. One of the barriers to tackling elder abuse is the lack of understanding of what elder abuse actually is. We hope our publications will help make people aware of how to recognise elder abuse and what to do to get help and support.

We will be giving members of the public opportunities to get involved in the campaign.

What are we calling for?
Help the Aged seeks to increase awareness about elder abuse and to demand that the Government takes action to help stop elder abuse. Our calls include:

• Increased access to independent advocacy for older people so they can speak out about abuse and get support.
• Increased awareness of elder abuse within law enforcement agencies including the Crown Prosecution Service.
• The establishment of a register of health and social care workers who cannot work with older people because they pose a risk to them.

Please check out our Take Action to find out how you can help us achieve these goals.

Who's involved in Help the Aged's campaign?
We believe it is essential to work collaboratively to tackle elder abuse. We work in partnership with the charity Action on Elder Abuse and also as a member of the Elder Abuse Strategic Alliance.

Who else is working on this issue?
There are a range of organisations and individuals, in both the statutory and voluntary sector, who are committed to tackling the problem of elder abuse. See our list of helpful links.

Every local authority has the obligation to respond to calls of concern from an older person. Some local authorities have an Adult Protection Committees (APC), that plays a particularly central role in protecting older people against abuse.

Most local authorities should have an Adult Protection Co-ordinator (APC) who is responsible for protecting vulnerable adults from abuse and other forms of harm and mistreatment. Part of the APC's role is to develop policy and procedures on the protection of vulnerable adults, to raise awareness of adult abuse amongst professionals and the general public and to ensure that incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities.

What is Action on Elder Abuse?
Action on Elder Abuse (AEA) is a national organisation based in London, operating across the four nations of the United Kingdom. It also provides some support within Ireland. It was established in 1993 by a group of health and social care practitioners, academics and voluntary sector representatives concerned about elder abuse.

One of AEA's main functions is its freephone helpline, which operates from 9.00am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. It focuses exclusively on the abuse of older people.

The helpline is confidential and provides information and emotional support. It is available to people who are being abused, those who are concerned about possible abuse and those who are interested in finding out more about elder abuse.

As a multi-disciplinary membership organisation, AEA aims to prevent elder abuse by raising awareness, encouraging education, promoting research, and disseminating information. It does this by providing up-to-date information for its members, running conferences on elder abuse and producing leaflets, resource materials and reports for practitioners and the public.

Some of the funds raised from the Help the Aged elder abuse campaign will go towards increasing the capacity of the AEA helpline.

What's the Westminster Government's position?
The Government recognises the problem of elder abuse and has taken steps to address this. However, Help the Aged believes that a more concerted effort is needed to create a better awareness of elder abuse and to ensure that more is done to prevent and tackle it.

In 2001, the Department of Health published guidance for local authorities on the protection of vulnerable adults - No Secrets. In Wales, a similar document was published called In Safe Hands. This offers guidance on developing local policies to prevent and tackle the abuse of vulnerable adults, drawing on good practice. However, there is no legal requirement for local authorities to adhere to the recommendations in No Secrets.

In 2004, the Department of Health published its response to an inquiry by the Health Select Committee into elder abuse, setting out how some of the recommendations of the inquiry could be met. Help the Aged welcomed this, but felt that it did not go far enough in acknowledging the Government's responsibilities in tackling elder abuse.

* Figures are based on an analysis of calls to the Action on Elder Abuse helpline.