WHO: Abuse of older people on the rise

GENEVA: Around 1 in 6 older people experience some form of abuse, a figure higher than previously estimated and predicted to rise as populations age worldwide.

A new study, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and published in the Lancet Global Health, has found that almost 16 percent of people aged 60 years and older were subjected to either psychological abuse (11.6 percent), financial abuse (6.8 percent), neglect (4.2 percent), physical abuse (2.6 percent) or sexual abuse (0.9 percent). The research draws on the best available evidence from 52 studies in 28 countries from different regions, including 12 low- and middle-income countries.