title: Elder abuse.
abstract: Abuse of old people is an uncomfortable concept for health professionals. The phenomenon raises important questions about how we care for the older members of society and demands scrutiny of many moral precepts, such as respect for autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence. In common with the mistreatment of any group of individuals, elder abuse is not new, but until recently it has not been widely recognized, reflecting professional unfamiliarity with this difficult and challenging problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care of the Elderly, Royal London Medical College.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Vernon
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology