Elderly Abuse: A Close Second to Child Abuse

It took a year-long congressional probe to spotlight a problem that may be as old as mankind: brutality against the aged by their own families.

Each year, perhaps a million elderly Americans—or about 1 out of every 25—are abused by relatives, said a report issued on April 3 by the House Select Committee on Aging.

Few people are aware of such abuse, the panel noted, although it occurs with a frequency only slightly less than child abuse. Among examples cited:

• In Massachusetts, an old man suffered double leg fractures when he was pushed down a stairway by his grandson, whom he had denied a small loan.

• In Connecticut, a young man beat his parents for years, once striking his mother in the back with a frying pan and clubbing his father with a stick.

• In New York, a man kept a clean room for himself while his 73-year-old wife lived in filth and ate cat food.

• In Washington, D.C., an 80-year-old paraplegic woman was sexually abused for six years by her son-in-law, who beat her with a hammer when she refused his advances.

• In Illinois, a woman, 19, chained her father, 81, to a toilet for a week.

Only one in six cases ever comes to the attention of authorities. “The elderly who are abused are often ashamed or may not want to bring trouble to their children, or they may fear reprisals if they complain,” the committee said.

Victims are likely to be 75 or older, and women suffer more often than men. The most likely abuser is the son, followed by the daughter and spouse.

In thousands of families, violence occurs from generation to generation. Investigators found that many persons who mistreat their aging kin were themselves victims of child abuse.

What should be done? The committee suggested stronger state laws against elder abuse, with Washington providing advice and some money.