ELDER ABUSE: IN NEED OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE LEGAL FRAMEWORK ARTICLE
IRISEL COLLAZO NAZARIO
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Introduction ...............................................................................................................287 I. Defining Elder Abuse ........................................................................................ 289 A. Negligence ..................................................................................................... 290 B. Physical Abuse................................................................................................292 C. Emotional or Psychological Abuse.............................................................. 294 D. Financial Exploitation ...................................................................................295 II. Incidence and Prevalence ................................................................................. 296 III. Causes and Risk Factors .................................................................................. 298 IV. Dealing with the Problem of Elder Abuse ....................................................... 301 V. Mandatory Reporting ........................................................................................ 304 Conclusion and Final Recommendations ............................................................... 307

INTRODUCTION
AS THE POPULATION SCHEME changes, the system faces new challenges. In 2000, the elders accounted for 16% of the total population in Puerto Rico and this per1 centage will continue to rise within the next few years. It is expected that by 2025, people sixty years or older will account for more than 20% of the total 2 population. As the elders live longer, their needs grow larger. What constituted an exception in the past is now common: people reaching seventy and eighty years of life. As a result, the distribution of the