Theft, neglect, exploitation... elder abuse in institutions

Elder abuse is simple to define: abusing people because they are older. Whether this takes the form of economic, physical, sexual or psychological abuse, it is very difficult to identify. Often the victim does not want to make the accusation because the person abusing them is family or part of their community.

Nearly exclusively, studies on elder abuse research focus on caregivers – family members or friends and acquaintances who look after the older adult. But there is a larger type of abuse that remains hidden and unspoken of. This is the abuse by institutions.

These untouchable topics include abuse by casinos, banks, doctors and lawyers and those committed by churches, synagogues or mosques, institutions which we trust. We cannot imagine anyone taking advantage of our frailty when we are at our most vulnerable stage in life. The financial or physical impact of such abuse is also hard to quantify on a personal level since the victim cannot recoup their losses or recover from such abuse. Most abuse victims die before the perpetrator is brought to court. We can only quantify economic loss.

Economically, in the US the loss is huge. In a 2011 MetLife study the annual financial...