What is elder abuse? How can it be explained and understood? Why now? What can be done about it?

Elder abuse is now recognized as a serious social problem on both sides of the Atlantic and Australia. Our understanding and responses to it will have profound implications for the quality of older people's lives and their place in society.

Elder Abuse in Perspective examines how the mistreatment of older people is defined, theorized and researched. It places the problem in its social and historical context, giving special attention to forms of abuse within families, communities, and institutions like hospitals and residential homes. The book looks at issues around training and elder abuse, and explores the most effective methods of intervention and prevention.

Elder Abuse in Perspective challenges many commonly held assumptions and provides new insight into elder abuse and neglect. It is perhaps the first book in recent years to provide a critical and reflective analysis of this growing social issue. It is an essential addition to the library of practitioners, researchers and students of old age.