A subcommittee of the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Health and Welfare, Social Affairs, Seniors and the Status of Women conducted a 3-month study on the abuse of the elderly. The subcommittee heard testimony about the growing problem of victimization of the elderly and the lack of awareness and action in the area. The committee found that greater uniformity in defining mistreatment of the elderly was needed in order to facilitate the advancement of research. The committee recommended funding of research to identify risk factors for victimization and to determine the magnitude of the problem. The need for education was emphasized-educating senior citizens about how to protect themselves, educating the community about signs to look for and how they can help if they suspect someone is being abused, providing information to informal care givers about support services that are available, and teaching children to see old people in a positive light. Funding of services for elderly victims such as emergency shelters was also recommended. The committee also recommended that the Minister of Justice take steps to ensure that existing criminal laws were enforced to protect seniors from abuse and to study the appropriateness of adult protection and guardianship laws that have been enacted in several jurisdictions. Finally, the committee recommended that a mechanism be created and money be allocated for the evaluation of any projects funded by the federal government relating to the abuse of the elderly.