Several factors concerning elders themselves, while they don’t excuse abuse, influence whether there is a greater risk for abuse. These factors include social isolation, the elder’s role at an earlier time as an abusive parent or spouse, a history of domestic violence in the home, or the elder’s own tendency toward verbal or physical aggression.

In addition, elders may be susceptible to fraud. Financial abuse costs older Americans more than $2.6 billion per year. Follow this link to learn about fraud victimization and ways to prevent it.