Elder abuse includes physical abuse and neglect, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, and violation of rights. While accurate reports of the incidence of such abuse are not available, data suggest that the threat of abuse in the home is nearly as great as the threat of personal crime against the elderly. Physical abuse/neglect appears to be less frequently suffered by the elderly than other types of abuse, while individuals with the physical and/or emotional impairments are most likely to suffer abuse. A member of the household is most often the perpetrator, particularly a son or daughter. Theories of elder abuse include general theories of family violence and those relating directly to the aging process. General thories include those which focus on traits of the abuser such as mental illness or substance abuse, those that posit a major role for situational stress, and those which view violence as a result of long-standing family relationship patterns. Another view posits that elder abuse is related to major changes that accompany the aging process. These include demographic and economic changes, changes in the elderly person's and the adult offspring's life, problems of intergenerational living, and the effects of aging on long-standing family relationships, all of which contribute to increased stress. Agencies tend to identify victims of abuse largely through the victim's reports, and the type of abuse identified tends to be related to type of agency (e.g., hospitals are more likely to identify physical abuse, social service agency to identify psychological abuse). Noncriminal approaches to the problem are most often used, especially counseling. Nursing care of the elderly abuse victims requires careful assessment and an awareness of possible indicators of risk, development of a comprehensive intervention plan, and ongoing evaluation of intervention. Tables and 134 notes are given.