One in six older people experiences some form of abuse, a figure that is higher than previously estimated and which is predicted to rise as populations age worldwide.

A new study, supported by the World Health Organisation and published in The Lancet Global Health , found that almost 16 per cent of people aged 60 years and older were subjected to either psychological abuse, financial abuse, neglect, physical abuse or sexual abuse. The research draws on the best available evidence from 52 studies in 28 countries from different regions, including 12 low- and middle-income countries.

“The abuse of older people is on the rise; for the 141 million older people worldwide, this has serious individual and societal costs,” Alana Officer, Senior Health Adviser, Department of Ageing and Life Course at the WHO, said.

Awareness about elder abuse, which is still largely a taboo topic, has started to increase across the world. It is defined as actions or lack of appropriate action that can cause harm or distress to an older person, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust.

All types of elder abuse can have an impact on the health and well-being of the older person.

Psychological abuse is the most pervasive, and includes behaviours that harm an older person’s self-worth or well-being such as name-calling, scaring, embarrassing, destroying property or preventing them from seeing friends and family.

Financial abuse includes illegally misusing an older person’s money, property or assets.

Neglect includes the failure to meet an older person’s basic needs, such as food, housing and so on. Health effects of abuse include traumatic injury and pain, as well as depression, stress and anxiety.

By 2050, the number of people aged 60-plus will double to 2 billion globally, largely in low- and middle-income countries, the WHO said, calling for coordinated action among its member-states.

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