Seniors are frequently reluctant to involve police or social-service agencies, officials say.
The elderly can be victims of abuse in many of the same ways as the young, but with fewer eyes watching and more perceived social taboos, professionals say.
Data indicate only a a quarter of all senior abuse cases are referred for help - the rest remain hidden.
That compares to a report rate of about 60 percent of all family violence incidents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
