DEMOGRAPHICS OF AGING IN THE UNITED STATES:

• By 2000, the elderly will account for 13% of this nation’s population. In the 21st Century, their number will rise by 12 million persons each decade (Gregory, 1994).
• In 1990, persons 65 years and older made up 11.2% of New Hampshire’s population. By 2015, this figure is expected to increase the 24.65% (NH Office of State Planning, 1991).
• Between 1989 and 2030, the population of persons 65 years and older will double; the 85+ population will triple between 1980 and 2030. By 2030, there will be proportionally more elderly than those younger than 18 (22% vs. 21%) (U.S. Congress, 1991).
• The elderly population of people of color is also increasing. In 1985 about 14% of persons 65 years and older were persons of color. By 2020, 21% of the elderly will be members of minorities (Spencer, 1988).

Typically, elder abuse is defined as various types of abuse against someone age 60 or 65 and older. Anyone can be an abuser: spouse, partner, child, caretaker, companion, lover or friend. The National Center On Elder Abuse reports that 90% of elder abuse is perpetrated by family members (mostly adult children & spouses). Sixty-six percent of all older victims are women. Older people who are experiencing hurtful behavior are often afraid or ashamed to ask for help. It's very difficult to acknowledge that your son, daughter or spouse is the one hurting you.
Some family members and caretakers use emotional, psychological, financial or physical pressure to get what they want.
Some have problems with drugs, alcohol and emotional instability and are financially dependent on those they are harming.
Abuse by an intimate partner can also be a pattern of hurtful behavior that has continued over the course of many years.
Domestic and sexual abuse in later life is a subset of elder abuse. Domestic violence in later life can be a form of elder abuse when an older adult is subjected to a pattern of coercive control and abuse by someone with whom they have an intimate, ongoing relationship.

Has a loved one ever…
• made you feel stupid?
• taken your money without asking?
• put you on an allowance?
• neglected and abandoned you when you needed care?
• refused to let you go out with friends?
• said they were going to put you away?
• said they would leave you or get a divorce?
• break your things?
• withheld medicine?
• made you feel frightened, ashamed, sad, or worthless?
• hit, kicked, slapped or threatened you?
• coerced or forced sexual activity?

You may have answered YES to some of these questions and still think, “It’s not that bad”, however, you should not feel scared, humiliated or controlled. Advocates are available to listen. Call your local domestic violence center.

Elder abuse is any crime, in which the victim is 60 years of age or older and in which the victim may have been targeted because of his/her age or was harmed due to vulnerability due to age or disability.
It has been estimated that roughly two-thirds of all elder abuse perpetrators are family members, most often the victim’s adult child or spouse. Research has shown that the abusers in many instances are financially dependent on the elder’s resources and have problems related to alcohol and drugs.
Approximately 3 - 5 million elderly people in the United States have experienced elder abuse (20% of the senior population) in their lifetime. It is estimated that for every one case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect reported to authorities, about five more go unreported.
Most common elder abuse crimes include theft, burglary, robbery, forgery, fraud, identity theft, kidnapping, sex crimes, murder, and criminal mistreatment. Criminal mistreatment is defined as a situation when a caregiver fails to provide care, causes physical injury, abandons the elderly person(s), takes charge of an elder for the purpose of committing fraud, or hides an elderly persons’ funds.

Categories of Elder Abuse
Physical abuse: assault, menacing, abandonment, neglect, the use of force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain or impairment (inappropriate use of restraints is included). Neglect is defined as the refusal or failure of a caregiver to fulfill his or her care-giving responsibilities.
Sexual abuse: rape, sodomy, sexual assault, sexual penetration, non-consensual sexual contact of any kind with an elderly person.
Emotional or psychological abuse: rejecting, degrading, terrorizing, isolating, denial of emotional responsiveness, the infliction of anguish, pain or distress.
Financial abuse: ordinary theft, theft by deception, identity theft, forgery, undue influence, the illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property or assets. This can include forgery, fraud, unexplained transfers of an elder’s assets and the unexplained disappearance of funds or valuable possessions.
If you have been a victim of elder abuse, or if you know someone who has been a victim of elder abuse, help is available at your local domestic violence center.


…. HELP IS AVAILABLE ….