Elder Abuse in India: Issues and Considerations

The abuse of an elderly has remained a private matter which was only seen as a social welfare issue and was very well hidden from the society. Generally, elder abuse can be understood as any form of behavior(s) that leads to decrease in wellbeing of an old person. Like the other forms of family violence, it has developed into a public health and criminal justice concern where the focus is on the dealing with elder abuse. Abuse of an elderly may be either intentional, unintentional or neglect causing harm to the older person temporarily or for a period of time. The present paper discussed the variety of factors that lead to elder abuse and important characteristics for identifying potential abusers so that mistreatment can be prevented. The issue of elder abuse is discussed in the Indian context and how it can be prevented. Older persons are in need of vital support that would keep important aspects of their lifestyles intact while improving their over-all quality of life.