Elder Abuse Statistics

Elderly Abuse: How Big is the Problem?

Although we do not know exactly how many elderly are suffering from elderly abuse, we do know the following:

• Elderly women are abused more than men.
• The older the person the more likely they are to be abused.
• Many caretakers lack the training to detect abuse.
• The elderly are reluctant to report the abuse.
• Ninety percent of the abusers are family members.
• According to research from the Adult Protective Services (APS) agencies elderly abuse is on the rise.
• Elderly abuse is likely to go unreported for more than a year.
• The New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study found that for every case known to programs and agencies, 24 were unknown.

(Information provided by the National Center for Elderly Abuse)

Do I have an Elderly Abuse Case?

Not all injuries at a nursing home are the result of the negligent actions of another person or the facility. To prove a nursing home abuse case you must prove:

• Duty of Care: The nursing home or long-term care facility had a duty of care toward the patient. This can generally be proven through a service contract.
• Breach of Duty: The actions of the medical staff or nursing home breached their duty of care.
• Proximate Cause: The breach of duty was the proximate cause of my loved one's injuries.
• Injury or Loss: My loved one suffered actual injury or loss.