Abuse of Older Persons

Population ageing in UNECE member States has given rise to fears that abuse of older persons may increase in its incidence, prevalence and complexity. Stereotypes may provide the breeding ground for abuse in society. Given the taboo attached to the topic, abuse and neglect are often underreported. Older people may be silent for fear of exposing a family member, losing services or being institutionalized. Therefore, there is a lack of reliable internationally comparable data to evaluate the phenomenon.