Each year on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (15 June), attention turns to the hidden and often overlooked violence, neglect, and exploitation experienced by older people around the world.
The campaign, titled #LifelongConnections, focuses on the emotional bonds older people build and maintain – as friends, mentors, caregivers, and community leaders – and how these very connections can make a tangible difference in preventing abuse.
Join the #LifelongConnections campaign this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and stand with older people facing crisis, conflict, and isolation.
In every emergency, it’s the relationships – of family, friendship, and care – that protect older people from harm and uphold their dignity.
By amplifying these stories and calling for systems that value connection, we can create a world where older people are seen, supported, and safe. Add your voice, share a story, and help us show that protection begins with connection.
Elder abuse is alarmingly widespread. According to the World Health Organization, one in six people aged 60 and over globally experience some form of abuse every year. This includes physical, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect – often by people in positions of trust.
Crucially, most cases go undetected and unreported – according to the UN, only one in 24 elder abuse cases is reported. Abuse thrives in environments of silence, secrecy, and social isolation.
Older people who are cut off from others, whether due to physical distance, disability, ageism, or lack of digital access, may have fewer opportunities to seek help – or to even recognise that what they are experiencing is abuse.
Research has shown that strong social networks can play a critical role in protecting against abuse. A connected older person is more visible. They are seen, heard, and checked in on – and this can make it harder for abuse to occur, and easier to detect when it does.
Social ties also foster trust, confidence and self-worth, which are vital for older people to speak up and seek support. Relationships built on respect and mutual care provide a buffer against harm and offer a space where older people feel safe to express concerns.
In this context, connection is not just a social good – it is a safeguarding mechanism.
Conversely, social isolation is one of the clearest risk factors for elder abuse. In the absence of regular contact with family, friends, neighbours or community members, the warning signs of abuse – such as mood changes, anxiety, financial irregularities, or unexplained injuries – can go unnoticed.
Older people living alone, or those with limited mobility or cognitive decline, are particularly at risk. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, isolation among older people sharply increased, and many organisations observed a rise in elder abuse, particularly financial exploitation and emotional neglect.
This highlights a stark reality: where connection fades, abuse finds space to grow.
Loneliness and isolation affect around one in four older people and are closely linked to poor mental health in later life. So too is abuse, which affects one in six older people – often at the hands of those meant to care for them. The impact can be devastating, leading to depression, anxiety, and lasting trauma.
The #LifelongConnections campaign celebrates the many ways older people are connected to others, and how these relationships can foster safety, dignity, and wellbeing.
It acknowledges the role of:
In these connections, protection doesn’t come from institutions alone – it grows organically through trust, empathy, and presence.
Understanding elder abuse as a social issue – not just a legal or institutional one – opens the door to new forms of prevention. #LifelongConnections reminds us that relationships are not only central to ageing with dignity, but also key to reducing the risk of harm.
As the global population ages, investing in the social and emotional lives of older people is essential. That means tackling isolation, promoting inclusion, and recognising the value of the connections that older people carry with them throughout their lives.
In the fight against elder abuse, relationships may be one of the most powerful tools we have.
This World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we honour the relationships that sustain older people through crisis.
Let's make sure everyone, everywhere can exercise their right to freedom, equality and a life lived in dignity.
