Exploring the Social and Economic Costs of Abuse in Later lIfe

Abstract : Abuse and neglect of older adults (« elder abuse ») has a significant impact on the lives of the individuals involved. At the same time, it has a broader social and economic cost. Many of these are « hidden costs » in the sense that the cause of the underlying problem is not identified. Abuse and neglect of older adults affects resource allocation in health, community, and justice services, as well as private industry (banking, housing, insurance) and government reveues and transfers. In addition, abuse in later life can lead to substantial intangible costs for the individuals, families and communities. There are a number of significant barriers to fully exploring the costs of abuse in later life, including the lack of basic statistical data on prevalence/ incidence; significant gaps in government and community data; conceptual differences between other forms of domestic violence and elder abuse; and built in age sensitivities in traditional economic analysis.