National Survey on Abuse of the Elderly in Canada

Abstract

The study sought to identify, for the first time in Canada at a national level, the prevalence and circumstances of abuse of the elderly in Canada. Four major categories of abuse were defined and studied: material abuse, chronic verbal aggression, physical violence, and neglect. Data were collected through a modified random-sample telephone survey of 2,008 elderly persons living in private dwellings. The study found that about 40 persons per 1,000 elderly population recently experienced some serious form of maltreatment in their own home, at the hands of a partner, relative, or significant others.