Sometimes spotting and challenging abuse in the elderly can be difficult and domestic abuse can be masked with professionals only seeing presenting issues as instead being an age-related condition. For example, bruising linked to medication or an ailment, when instead it’s physical abuse, or depression and confusion, instead actually being a sign of psychological or emotional abuse or coercive control

As per the Safe Later Lives: Older people and domestic abuse report by Safe Lives, victims aged 61 and over are much more likely to experience abuse from an adult family member or current intimate partner than those 60 and under.

On average, older victims experience abuse for twice as long before seeking help as those aged under 61 and nearly half have a disability. Older victims are less likely to attempt to leave their perpetrator in the year before accessing help and more likely to be living with the perpetrator after getting support.

The report also claims that older people are statistically more likely to suffer from health problems, reduced mobility or other disabilities, which can exacerbate their vulnerability to harm. Another common barrier is generational attitudes about abuse that leads to older victims being far less likely to identify their situation as abuse.

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