An Update on the Nature and Scope of Elder Abuse

Rosalie S. Wolf wrote "The Nature and Scope of Elder Abuse" for the Summer 2000 issue of Generations, which focused on the abuse and neglect of older people. Although just over a decade has passed, our understanding of elder abuse is changing because of prolific research. Subsequent years have seen more and better elder abuse research than ever before. This article examines select recent studies and suggests how their findings are affecting our understanding about elder abuse in the areas of definitions, prevalence and incidence, theoretical explanations, and consequences.