Every month, one in 10 older adults worldwide experience some form of abuse. But with only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse reported, the true figures are likely to be much greater. And with an increasing aging population in the United States and beyond, so will be the problem. By 2050, the global population of people aged 60 and older is predicted will more than double, from 900 million in 2015 to about 2 billion.

AEA was established in 1993 by a group of practitioners from health and social care, and by academics and representatives of the voluntary sector who were concerned about the lack of information and assistance for those who were abused or were at risk of abusing. And today, we address abuse within people’s own homes (whether by family, friends or paid staff), within sheltered housing, and within care homes and hospitals.