• About this study
• Our findings

UK Study of Abuse & Neglect of Older People

About this study

This is the first dedicated study of abuse and neglect of older people in the UK.

The study reported a one year prevalence of mistreatment of 2.2%, which equates to around 227,000 adults.

The report focused on mistreatment by family, friends and care workers, involving only multiple incidents of neglect and psychological abuse.

Neglect was the most common form of mistreatment, reported by 1.1% of respondents. Partners and other family members were most commonly reported as the perpetrators of mistreatement.

Now find out more

You can read our key findings here, and the full report here.

Background to the study

This study was funded by Comic Relief and the Department for Health. We carried out the research with the Institute for Gerontology and the Social Care Workforce Research Unit at King's College London.

Policy Impact

This research was commissioned following a House of Commons Health Committee report on elder abuse, which identified the absence of any sound data on the prevalence of elder abuse in the UK. Our research provides this data and widens the evidence base for policy makers.

Methods

We interviewed a representative sample of older adults across the UK, conducting face-to-face interviews with over 2,000 adults aged 66 and over living in private households and sheltered accommodation in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The questionnaire developed for this study covered five key forms of mistreatment: financial, psychological, physical, sexual abuse, and neglect.

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Of interest: