Elder abuse is a widespread phenomenon, which is becoming increasingly significant because of the ageing of the population. There are many different forms and it is not easy to find one inclusive definition of the term elder abuse.

On 7 and 8 January 2010 the first meeting for the EuROPEAN project was held in Utrecht, The Netherlands. All project partners considered the first meeting to be a succes.

During the first steering group meeting all project partners have given a presentation on their organisation and the basic understandings on elder abuse in their country. These presentations can be found in this article.

The EuROPEAN project was the only project selected by the European Commission to compile a reference framework for the prevention of elder abuse across Europe.

Learn more about the different organizations that participate in the project.

On 15 June the anual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is held. On 14 June 2010 a workshop was organized in The Netherlands on elder abuse. This workshop was part of the EUSTaCEA project, co-ordinated by the Age Platform Europe. The hosting organization of the workshop was ANBO, who is a partner to the EUSTaCEA project. Here you can find the presentations of all the speakers.

The Final Background and Position Paper of the EuROPEAN project consortium is ready. The document gives a deep insight in elder abuse on an international level and on the level of the participating countries. It points out several areas that need particular attention in future prevention methods and research.

An organization in Ireland called Eirgrid allegedly used an age profile to choose the 'path of least resistance' in erecting high pylons for an electricity grid. The dangerous high voltage pylons will be placed in the direct neighbourhood of many older bachelor farmers, who are said to have been specifically targeted for their low probability of protesting against the plan. Targeting older people for these purposes because of their vulnerability is a form of elder abuse. For the full article in th Irish Independent newspaper, click HERE.

This new publication is produced to strengthen understanding and awareness for the need of a Convention on the Rights of Older Persons. Please read the accompanying letter of the president of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) for more information. The publication can be found hereafter.

The questionnaire for the Background and Position Paper prepaired by MOVISIE can now be found here. All experts and stakeholders (also those outside the project consortium) are invited to fill in the questionnaire to provide data from all over Europe.

This Report is a compilation of Reports from 7 Europan Countries and wants to empower professionals to combat violance angainst older women within families

This WHO/INPEA report presents the design and findings of the study, and the conclusions of a meeting (Geneva 11–13 October 2001) aimed at identifying the indications for policy, research and action emerging from these study findings. Reports from each country prepared by the national teams were reviewed and analysed at the meeting.  Analysis of the major themes revealed remarkable similarities across the participating countries.

This UN-ECOSOC Report has been prepared for the Second World Assembly on Ageing 2002 in Madrid. The report surveys the issues on abuse of older persons from a global perspective based on studies conducted in the past 20 years.

Art 12, Ministerial Declaration 2007, Léon

We recognize that accessibility, dignity, quality standards and most particularly the protection from elder abuse and neglect present important challenges in care provision.

This (WHO) paper presents a critical review of the literature, discusses what is needed in order to advance knowledge by Primary Health Care (PHC) workers about elder abuse and makes recommendations about detection as a first step for the management and prevention ofelder abuse.

This special Eurobarometer report was published in December 2007. A section of the report is devoted to figures on the (prevention of) mistreatment of older people in Europe.

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This site is intended for everyone who is professionally of otherwise involved in combating elder abuse and neglect and who wants to be informed about developments in European co-operation in this matter.

Until very recently, elder abuse was a social problem hidden from public view and mostly regarded as a private matter. Evidence is accumulating, however, to indicate that elder abuse, which includes the pervasive issue of neglect, is an important public health and societal problem that manifests itself in both developing and developed countries. From a health and social perspective, unless the primary health care and social services sectors are well equipped to identify and deal with the problem, elder abuse will continue to be underdiagnosed and overlooked.