Health Topic

Elder Abuse

Seniors are vulnerable to physical or emotional abuse. Elder abuse can happen at home or in assisted living facilities or nursing homes.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Elder Abuse

Many older people are victims of elder abuse. It is the mistreatment of an older person, usually by a caregiver. It can happen within the family. It can also happen in assisted living facilities or nursing homes.

The mistreatment may be:

  • Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
  • Neglect or abandonment
  • Financial abuse - stealing of money or belongings

Possible signs of elder abuse include unexplained bruises, burns, and injuries. There may also be bed sores and poor hygiene. The person may become withdrawn, agitated, and depressed. There may be a sudden change in the person's financial situation.

Elder abuse will not stop on its own. Someone else needs to step in and help. If you think that an older person is in urgent danger, call 911. Otherwise, contact adult protective services.

It sits within Older Adults, Injuries and Wounds and Social/Family Issues.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute on Aging.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Elder Abuse

27 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

Start Here

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Elder Abuse. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Elder Abuse, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.