A useful guide to the most recent stats from government, public service and diverse other organisations on ageing, dementia, elder abuse, longevity, aged care, and carers.
Stats include key elder abuse metrics:
According to Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) research in 2021, almost one in six older Australians reported experiencing abuse in the last 12 months.
Only about one-third of those victims have sought help.
The National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study found that the most common forms of elder abuse were:
psychological abuse (11.7%)
neglect (2.9%)
financial abuse (2.1%)
physical abuse (1.8%)
sexual abuse (1%)
Some older people (3.5%) experienced more than one type of abuse, with the most common combination being psychological abuse and neglect.
Perpetrators were mostly family members, with adult children the most likely to commit abuse, making up almost one-fifth of perpetrators. Friends (12%), neighbours (7%) and acquaintances (9%) were also cited as commonly responsible.