Hidden abuse of elderly emerging problem for JapanSydney Morning Herald / June 21 2003
...Japan's first survey on the abuse of the elderly, amid growing evidence that a culture that reveres the aged may also be allowing them to be seriously mistreated... The portion of the population aged 65 or over is now 18.5 per cent - compared with 7 per cent in 1970 - and is forecast to increase rapidly. For Japan, abuse of the elderly is a particularly confronting issue. Traditionally, the family of the eldest son cared for an ageing parent. But the stresses of modern life - compounded by a 13-year economic slump - appear to be contributing to a growing number of abuse cases.
