This year World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is Thursday 15th June. It is a day to raise awareness of elder abuse, to try and influence the legislative process, and to fundraise to help prevent abuse in all of its forms.

The United Nations Assembly predicts that the global population of people aged over 60 will more than double to 1.2 billion by 2026, and that by 2050 over 20% of the world’s population will be aged 60 plus. They also calculated that 4-to-6% of older people have received some form of mal-treatment at home which can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences. Elder abuse is therefore a growing issue worldwide and one we need to act to stop now!

But how do we combat elder abuse? Robert Hacking investigates…