The Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect of Older Adults Who Access Health and Social Services in London, Ontario, Canada

It is anticipated that older adults who seek professional intervention may be more at risk of abuse and neglect. This paper reports a prevalence study that focused on older adults who accessed health and social service organizations over a three month period. Respondents ranged from 55 to 100 with a mean age of 73.8 years. Over a quarter of the sample reported at least one form of violence during their lifespan. Higher prevalence rates than in the general population were found. Attempted material abuse was most frequent, followed by verbal abuse, physical abuse, unintentional neglect, actual material abuse, and intentional neglect.