Map Shows States With Highest Level of Elder Abuse

By Suzanne Blake

Elder abuse continues to be a problem across the U.S. and a new report from RP Legal Group has ranked states for the number of reported incidents, based on data from the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System.

Washington state saw the highest proportion of mistreated elderly home care patients, with 3,597 cases for every 100,000 people age 65 and older. Missouri, Texas, Maine and Oregon also produced concerning statistics. 

States With Highest Rates of Elder Abuse

Financial exploitation was a major source of elderly mistreatment, especially in Washington, where there was an average of 11,818 financial exploitation reports each year.

Missouri saw high reports of self-neglect, at 13,129 average reports per year. Self-neglect is considered abuse because it means there's been a failure of someone else intervening or assisting the elderly person to help them live safely.

Texas also saw a substantial number of elder abuse cases, with 3,115 reports per 100,000 people. Self-neglect cases were high, at an average of 73,139 per year.

"Many elderly patients in nursing homes already suffer from illnesses or medical conditions, making it crucial to take any improper treatment seriously," Robert Rikard from RP Legal Group, said in the report. "It's alarming that these maltreatment figures are so high, especially in states like Washington, Texas, and Oregon."

"Providing the best care for the elderly is more critical than ever, especially given that a growing proportion of Americans are living longer. These findings shed light on the states with the most severe issues, which can allow for the allocation of the correct resources, training, and measures to reduce the number of maltreatment reports and injuries."

A walker and electric wheelchair are left outside residences at an assisted living facility on November 10, 2012, in Connecticut. Washington saw the highest number of elderly abuse reports among U.S. states. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

Roughly 10 percent of the elderly in America will experience psychological, financial, physical and sexual abuse or neglect, according to Gloria Gutman, professor at the Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University.

"Usually, it is psychological abuse that is number one followed by financial abuse," Gutman told Newsweek. "Not all jurisdictions include self-neglect in the definition of elder abuse."

Guardianship abuse tends to be the most common source of elder abuse, and it's especially common in areas with relaxed laws and limited oversight for elders living either with family or in nursing and assisted living homes.

As the number of Americans reaching old age rises, there's likely to be an uptick in cases of elder abuse, especially as technology becomes more advanced and financial scams become more prevalent.

When the elderly population faces cognitive issues like dementia and Alzheimer's, the likelihood of elder abuse can also skyrocket.

The number of people age 65 and older grew from 39.6 million in 2009 to 54.1 million in 2019, according to Time. That figure is set to reach a whopping 94.7 million by 2060.

"Elder abuse is a serious issue in America," Zhenmei Zhang, sociology professor at Michigan State University, told Newsweek.

"The reasons for differing rates of elder abuse across states are complex. Variations in how states define elder abuse, differences in mandatory reporting requirements, and disparities in funding for Adult Protective Services (APS) all contribute to these differences."

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Map Shows States With Highest Level of Elder Abuse