Elder abuse rises in Quebec, ISQ survey finds

About 123,300 Quebecers aged 65 and older living at home experienced abuse or neglect in 2025, roughly seven per cent of that group, up from about six per cent in 2019, the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ) said Tuesday.

The agency’s survey found psychological abuse remains the most common form. It affected about 5.3 per cent of seniors living at home in 2025, compared with 4.6 per cent in 2019. Physical neglect, which means not receiving help with daily tasks such as eating or bathing from someone responsible for providing it, touched nearly 0.7 per cent of seniors, up from 0.4 per cent in 2019. Using the ISQ’s rounded figures, that is an increase of about 15 per cent for psychological abuse and about three-quarters for physical neglect, though both remain small shares of the population.

The ISQ said it found no statistically significant change between 2019 and 2025 for financial or material abuse, physical abuse or sexual abuse.

Women were more likely than men to report at least one type of abuse, at eight per cent versus six per cent, and more likely to report psychological abuse (six per cent versus 4.4 per cent) and sexual abuse (0.6 per cent versus 0.2 per cent). Seniors who rated their general or mental health as fair or poor, who had difficulty seeing, who had at least one functional limitation or who used a mobility aid were also more likely to experience certain types of abuse, the agency said.

In total, 13,355 people aged 65 and older took part in the survey, which ran from February to September 2025. It covers people living at home, not those in long-term care.

Yves Bouchard, president of the Fédération de l’âge d’or du Québec (FADOQ), the province’s largest seniors’ organization, told CityNews Montreal the increase is disappointing and that there should be no abuse at all. He added that abuse by family members is often the hardest for victims to accept.

The ISQ defines abuse as an attitude, word, act or failure to act that occurs in a relationship where there should be trust and causes harm or distress to an adult, whether intended or not. For the survey, it counted abuse by someone in the person’s circle or a trusted person. The agency’s publication is available in French only on its website.

Related: Seniors’ poverty rate seen rising to 7.0%, StatCan says.

Anyone aged 65 or older in Quebec who is experiencing abuse can call the Ligne Aide Maltraitance Adultes Aînés (formerly Ligne Aide Abus Aînés) toll-free at 1-888-489-2287. In an emergency, call 911.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.