Up to 24,000 vulnerable older people could be suffering abuse, most likely from adult children or family, a report suggests. 

Little information is available on the incidence of elder abuse in New Zealand. However, a Social Development Ministry review of international studies says that, even if New Zealand rates are at the lower end of the international spectrum, a significant number of older Kiwis would be abused. 

Based on the 2003 estimate that New Zealand had 478,000 people aged over 65 years, and using an assumed elder-abuse prevalence of 2 to 5 per cent, between 9560 and 23,900 people "may be experiencing abuse in New Zealand", author Pauline Fallon says. 

France, Finland and Sweden reported rates of abuse of up to 20 per cent. 

Elder abuse included neglect, and psychological, physical, sexual and financial abuse, the report says. 

"Older people who have experienced abuse and/or neglect tend to be frail, vulnerable and dependent." Victims are often in good health but suffer psychological problems, it says. 

Adult children are the most common abusers, followed by spouses. 

Age Concern holds a contract for preventing and dealing with elder abuse. It investigated 1288 reported cases from July 2002 till June 2004. 
However, the abuse is thought to be under-reported. 

Age Concern Wellington's neglect and elder abuse prevention coordinator, Beverley Burns, said elderly people were often afraid to speak up, for fear of retribution. 

The extent of abuse varied from case to case, but all cases were damaging to the elderly victim, she said. 

Financial abuse ranged from an adult child using the elderly parent's bankcard to buy their own shopping at the same time as buying groceries for their mother or father, to failing to give rest homes money to buy clothes and toiletries for their family member. 

Psychological abuse often involved threats and manipulation, such as family threatening to stop visiting unless the elderly person did something they did not want to do, Mrs Burns said. 

Elderly people were often also victims of physical violence, such as pushing and shoving. 

"Often they feel they can't do anything about it. They think they just have to put up with it." 

Age Concern dealt with elder abuse by talking to the older person and finding out what they wanted to do about it, Mrs Burns said. 
In most cases that involved discussing the issue with family, as most elderly people wanted the abuse to stop, but did not want to get anyone into trouble. 
The Government has increased funding for elder abuse and neglect prevention.