Wednesday, June 17, 2026
A Real-Life Story from the Community
Julie, a local older adult, was targeted by scammers after the loss of her husband. Living alone, Julie was approached by scammers posing as home repair workers who gained her trust and took money without completing the work. She reflects, “That’s how I got taken, because I was trusting people.” Though the experience was upsetting, she turned it into an opportunity to raise awareness. She reported it and worked with local service providers to ensure it didn’t happen again.
Julie’s story is one of the estimated 1-2 million stories in the United States of people over 65 years old who are injured, exploited or mistreated, every year, according to the National Center for Elder Abuse.
*This story was first featured in an interview on The Age Guide podcast. Click to hear the whole story.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) highlights the need for community efforts to prevent and protect against elder abuse, like that experienced by Julie. WEAAD serves as a call-to-action for individuals, organizations, and communities to come together to identify, address, and prevent abuse. Elder abuse is defined as a single or repeated act, or failure to act, within a relationship of trust that causes harm or distress to an older person.
WEAAD raises awareness about the millions of older adults who experience elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. As many as 1 in 10 older Americans are abused or neglected each year, only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse ever come to authorities’ attention.
Awareness Campaigns
Creating awareness around elder abuse can significantly amplify the message and build awareness. Here are some ways to get involved:
- Wear purple, the official color of WEAAD, in solidarity.
- Engage with local authorities and organizations to reinforce messages around prevention.
- Promote intergenerational activities to promote empathy, respect, and understanding across ages.
- Join a local or virtual Walk for WEAAD to promote mobility and connection.
AgeGuide participated in WEADD awareness by walking together to raise awareness and wearing purple for the day.
A Growing Public Health Concern
Elder abuse is a global issue impacting the health and human rights of millions, yet it often goes unrecognized and unreported. Because of the perceived stigma and personal nature of abuse, it remains widely underreported and therefore underestimated despite growing evidence of its serious public health impact. WEAAD aims to focus attention on elder abuse as a public health and societal problem.
Older Americans lose an estimated $2.6 billion or more annually due to elder financial abuse and exploitation, funds that could be used to pay for basic needs such as housing, food, and medical care.
Reporting Abuse
Real experiences, like Julie’s story above, highlight the importance of having regular conversations and information sharing around financial exploitation and abuse.
To report suspected abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of an adult age 60 or older or a person with disabilities age 18-59 call the statewide, 24-hour Adult Protective Services Hotline: 1-866-800-1409, 1-888-206-1327 (TTY).
Learn More about Reporting Suspected Abuse
Additional Resources
AgeGuide Adult Protective Services Providers
National Center for Elder Abuse
Types of Elder Abuse and How to Recognize Abuse
