One in six older people experience abuse in NZ, with psychological harm most common
New research shows abuse of older people takes many forms, from threats to harmful actions and neglect, and it often involves family members.
A study in New Zealand has found that approximately one in six older adults, specifically 17% of those aged 55 or older, have experienced some form of abuse within the past year. This equates to more than 250,000 individuals. The research, the most comprehensive of its kind, surveyed over 5,000 people about 53 potentially harmful behaviors they encountered.
Psychologically harm was the most common form, experienced by 12.4% of respondents, followed by financial harm (4.0%), cultural and spiritual harm (3.2%), physical harm (2.8%), neglect (1.2%), and sexual harm (0.9%).
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