Leading the fight against      adult abuse

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What is Elder Abuse?

In 1993 we established the following definition of elder abuse.  This has been subsequently adopted by the World Health Organisation, is promoted by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, and has been variously adopted by countries throughout the World, including the Republic of Ireland (with a slight addition):

'A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person'.

It has at its heart the 'expectation of trust' that an older person may rightly establish with another person, but which is subsequently violated.  For this reason we do not involve ourselves with actions that relate to strangers, unless those strangers have abused the expectation of trust.

Below you can find guidance on the nature of elder abuse.

More Information:

What is elder abuse?

Why does it happen?

What are the signs?

What to do and who to contact

All of the sections above show a film clip to emphasise the nature of the abuse.

We do not identify racial abuse or institutional abuse as separate forms of abuse because these manifest in the five types described above.  Racial abuse can be what motivates someone in their actions, and institutional abuse can be used to describe the environment and circumstances that give rise to abuse.

In this context, we also have to recognise family abuse, which additionally manifests in the five types described above, but which can complicate the ability of an older person to accept or confront what is happening to them.

Both older men and women can be at risk of being abused. The abuser is usually well known to the person being abused. They may be:

Often, the people who abuse older people are exploiting a special relationship.  They are in a position of trust, whether through family bonds, friendship or through a paid caring role, and they exploit that trust.  

Sometimes however abuse is not intentional.  It can be because someone lacks the skills or external support necessary to adequately care for another person.  We call this passive abuse because it is unintentional.  That does not mean that the impact on the older person is any less, but it can help us to understand how best to address the abuse.

Click here to download a leaflet which defines who can be abused, what types of abuse, where it can happen, who might abuse, and why it happens. Also provides an extensive list of organisations to contact in addition to Action on Elder Abuse.