Elder  abuse  is  defined  as  harm done  to  persons  over  the  age of  65  by  someone  who  is  in  a position  of  being  trusted.   We  can  only  guess  at  the number  of  elderly  who  are abused  every  year.    The  best guess  is  that  there  are  about 2.5  million  cases  per  year,  but authorities  say  that  for  every elder  whose  abuse  is  reported, there  are  13  others  whose abuse  goes  unreported. About  5  to  10%  of  elderly people  are  abused.    The majority  of  these  are  female, although  abuse  of  elderly  men is  becoming  nearly  as common. Elder  abuse  has  increased  over 100%  since  1986. Adult  children  are  the  abusers in  35%  of  the  cases. Spouses  are  the  abusers  in 13%  of  the  cases. The  average  age  of  elder abuse  victims  is  about  78 years. In  1996,  66.4%  of  elder  abuse victims  were  white  and  18.7% were  black. Less  than  $3.00  is  spent  per elder  person  in  the  United States  for  protective  services. Why Do So Many Elder Abuse Cases Go Unreported? Elders  don't  always  report  the abuse  because: they  are  afraid  that  the  abuser will  find  out  and  be  angry. they  are  afraid  that  the authorities  might  take  their family  members  away. they  are  ashamed  that  their adult  child  is  abusing  them and  don't  want  anyone  to  find out. they  are  afraid  that  they  might be  taken  away  from  their  home and  perhaps  put  into  a  nursing home. they  don't  know  that  there  are people  who  can  help. they  have  lived  with  the problem  and  don't  think  of  it  as a  big  deal. What Are Some Signs of Elder Abuse? It  should  send  up  a  "red  flag"  if: The  patient  is  not  allowed  to speak  to  you  unless  a  family member  is  present. The  patient  is  punished  for being  incontinent. You  see  family  members abusing  drugs  or  alcohol. You  hear  someone  threaten  the patient. You  hear  two  different  stories about  how  the  patient  got  a bruise  or  other  injury. A  family  member  refuses  to allow  you  to  complete  the patient's  care. Understanding Elder Abuse In  more  than  2/3  of  the reported  cases  of  elder abuse,  the  abuser  was  a family  member. Who Is Most At Risk  For Elder Abuse? Abuse  can  happen  to  anyone.    However,  there  are certain  factors  that  seem  to  increase  the  risk  of abuse.    Elderly  people  are  more  likely  to  be  abused  if: they  are  physically  and/or  mentally  impaired. their  condition  is  getting  worse. they  are  isolated  from  their  family  or  community. they  are  dependent  on  others  for  all  their  needs. their  caregivers  are  stressed  out. their  caregivers  are  not  trained  for  the  job  of  patient  care. their  caregiver  is  a  family  member  with  emotional  problems  or who  is  addicted  to  drugs  or  alcohol. (Above  statistics  are  from  the  National  Center  on  Elder  Abuse.)