DATA WAS GATHERED FROM STAMPED, SELF-ADDRESSED SURVEYS SENT TO 1,044 PROFESSIONALS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS DURING MARCH AND APRIL 1979. FIVE TYPES OF INFORMATION WERE COLLECTED: PROFESSIONS SEEING ELDER ABUSE, CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONS ENGAGING IN ABUSE, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT(S), AND RESPONSE(S) TO THE INCIDENT. A TOTAL OF 34 PERCENT OF THE SURVEYS WERE RETURNED, OF WHICH 183 OR 55 PERCENT INDICATED A CITING OF ELDER ABUSE WITHIN THE 18-MONTH PERIOD. AN ADDITIONAL 19 SURVEYS REPORTED INSTANCES OF MULTIPLE ABUSE (MORE THAN 1 PERSON BEING ABUSED) AND WERE NOT CODED FOR ANALYSIS. THE SURVEY DOES NOT REPRESENT A RANDOM SAMPLING OF ANY POPULATION AND ITS FINDINGS ARE NOT GENERALIZABLE BEYOND THIS DATA SET. ALSO, 183 CITINGS DO NOT REPRESENT AN UNDUPLICATED COUNT OF ABUSE CASES. ABUSE INCIDENTS TENDED TO BE RECURRING EVENTS AND NOT SINGLE OCCURRENCES; ALMOST ALL PROFESSIONALS SURVEYED INDICATED THAT THEY KNEW OF ELDER ABUSE CASES; OUTSIDE OBSERVATION TENDED TO BE THE PRIMARY MEANS OF IDENTIFYING ABUSE CASES; AND PHYSICAL TRAUMA CONSISTED OVER 41 PERCENT OF THE REPORTED INJURIES, INCLUDING BRUISES, WELTS, CUTS, PUNCTURES, BONE FRACTURES, DISLOCATIONS, AND BURNINGS. OTHER TYPES OF ABUSE WERE VERBAL HARASSMENT, MALNUTRITION, FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT, UNREASONABLE CONFINEMENT, OVERSEDATION, AND SEXUAL ABUSE. ALSO, ABUSE VICTIMS WERE LIKELY TO BE VERY OLD (75 AND OVER), AND REGARDLESS OF AGE, MORE LIKELY TO BE WOMEN THAN MEN. FINALLY, 70 PERCENT OF ALL RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT SOME BARRIER TO SERVICE PROVISION WAS EXPERIENCED BY WORKERS. OTHER OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURE OF ELDER ABUSE ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. TABLES, FOOTNOTES, AND THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--PRG)