This article is a World Health Organization elder abuse fact sheet. It provides basic information about the prevalence, consequences, and risk factors of elder abuse, and some general suggestions for preventing elder abuse.

This article highlights the existence of elder abuse, and addresses in particular the danger of spiritual elder abuse in the church. Spiritual elder abuse is the failure of the church, both office-bearers and members, to develop relationships with the aged, and to bring them the gospel. Finally, some general directions are given to avoid and overcome this failure.

In this theological study, the author gives examples of neglect and abuse experienced by the aged in South Africa, in a variety of care situations. She explains that the so-called ecological theory has been considered most helpful for understanding the causes of elder abuse, and outlines the four categories of factors identified by this theory.