Elder abuse in the oldest old: prevalence, risk factors and consequences

BackgroundThe group of the oldest old (aged over 80 years) is one of the fastest growing populations in Germany [3]. A widespread phenomenon among older people in general (60+ years) is called elder abuse (EA). The most common working definition of EA, which is used in most studies and adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) describes EA as: a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person. Elder abuse has serious consequences for the health and well-being of older people and ca…