There are more than five million elder abuse victims in the United States, affecting an estimated one in 10 adults over the age of 60. Elder abuse is defined by the National Center on Elder Abuse as a knowing, intended or careless act that causes harm to an older person - physically, mentally, emotionally or financially. The documentary ELDER ABUSE & EXPLOITATION examines the causes behind geriatric mistreatment, neglect and exploitation. Experts suggest that our understanding of elder abuse lags decades behind child abuse and domestic violence. This form of maltreatment is often underreported, lacks clear legal definition, and is complicated by ethical challenges. The documentary shares several surprising and thought-provoking facts about elderly abuse. For example, there are more victims of older adult mistreatment than there are of child abuse and domestic violence combined. And while exploitation by scammers and other strangers grabs the most headlines, the majority of perpetrators tend to be people close to and trusted by the victim.
