Caregiver and elder abuse by the numbers
Reported US and global figures from named authorities. The totals are floors, not ceilings — abuse of vulnerable people is among the most underreported harm there is.
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in 10 | US adults 60+ who experience abuse in a year (~5.6M people) | NCEA / NCOA |
| 1 in 6 | Older adults worldwide who experienced abuse in the past year | WHO, 2022 |
| 1 in 24 | Elder-abuse cases that are actually reported to authorities | NCEA / NCOA, 2024 |
| ~13% | Elder-abuse incidents on the NCEA resource line tied to non-family (medical) caregivers | NCOA, 2024 |
| 7,000+ | Child sexual-abuse cases by babysitters reported to US authorities a year | OJJDP |
| 5.4M | US direct-care workers, including ~3.2M home-care workers, in 2024 | PHI |
Figures are reported third-party statistics (National Center on Elder Abuse / National Council on Aging, the World Health Organization, the US Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and PHI), summarized here for reference. They describe the abuse landscape, not OffenderSearch data.
What caregiver abuse statistics mean for families
Two things stand out. First, the harm is real and common: on the order of one in ten older adults, and thousands of children a year through babysitters alone. Second, it is almost invisible in the official record — the NCEA estimates just one in twenty-four elder-abuse cases is ever reported, so every figure here understates the problem. Meanwhile the in-home workforce is exploding: home-care workers roughly doubled to about 3.2 million in a decade, and direct care is the fastest-growing job sector in the country. More care happening in private homes, by more new workers, with vetting that varies wildly — that is exactly the gap a quick check closes.
Why caregiver abuse risk grows with the home-care workforce
Why in-home caregiver safety is a growing concern, not a shrinking one.
Why elder abuse by caregivers is so under-reported
If only about one in twenty-four elder-abuse cases reaches the authorities, the reasons matter as much as the totals. Many victims depend on the person harming them for daily care, meals or transport, and fear what happens if that person leaves. Some live with dementia or another condition that makes it hard to recognize or describe what is happening. Others feel shame, or worry they won’t be believed — especially when the caregiver is friendly and trusted by the rest of the family.
Care in a private home adds isolation. There may be no coworker, supervisor or other resident to notice a change. That is why families and agencies lean on what they can control before care starts: who they let in, how they check that person, and how they stay informed afterwards.
Warning signs of abuse by a caregiver
In an older adult
Unexplained bruises or injuries, sudden fearfulness or withdrawal, poor hygiene or weight loss, missing medication, and unexpected changes to bank accounts, wills or spending. A caregiver who won’t let you speak with your parent alone is a signal on its own.
In a child
Sudden reluctance to be left with one sitter, new fears or regression, unexplained injuries, and secrets or gifts from the caregiver. Pay attention when a child changes after time with one particular adult.
No single sign proves abuse. Several together, or a change you can’t explain, is reason to act.
Where caregiver background check rules fall short
Screening rules for caregivers are set mostly by states, and they vary. Florida’s Level 2 screening is one of the strongest: it includes the sex offender registries of every state an employee lived in during the preceding five years (Fla. Stat. § 435.04). At the federal level the picture is thinner than many families assume — Medicare’s home health conditions of participation contain no aide-screening requirement, and the CMS National Background Check Program, a voluntary grant to states, ended in 2024.
The biggest gap is private hiring. A family that hires a nanny, a sitter or a private aide directly is usually the only one doing any vetting. And a check limited to one state misses a registration somewhere else, which is why searching across the 58 US registries matters for a workforce that moves. Agencies can read the full picture in home care background check requirements.
How to check a caregiver or nanny before you hire
- Search the registries and records. Run the name across all 58 US sex offender registries and criminal records — check a caregiver or a nanny or babysitter.
- Confirm the match. Use a date of birth or city — names repeat, and a photo and official-record link let you be sure it is the right person.
- Verify references and history. Call prior families or employers, and confirm the dates line up.
- Check again. A Background Check ($9.99) takes the name plus where the person lives or works and searches the registries and criminal records in those states — because a one-time check goes stale.
Making a hiring decision? Use an FCRA workflow.
FCRA workflows are built primarily for tenant screening and hiring decisions. If a result will help decide whether to hire someone, the check has to run as an FCRA-regulated consumer report, with a permissible purpose, consent, accuracy controls and a dispute path for the person. Our standard search and API are not a consumer report. FCRA workflows run through FCRA Partner Access, for background check companies and screening platforms under a written FCRA agreement.
FCRA pricing is quoted per partner, so contact us for pricing.
How to report suspected caregiver abuse
- Immediate danger: call 911.
- An older or disabled adult: contact Adult Protective Services in the state where they live. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can connect you.
- A child: call your state’s child abuse hotline, or the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
- In a nursing home or assisted living: the state’s long-term care ombudsman handles resident complaints, alongside the state licensing agency.
- Through an agency or app: report it to the agency or platform as well, so the caregiver can’t simply move to the next family.
Caregiver abuse statistics: FAQ
How common is elder abuse by caregivers?
The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates about 1 in 10 US adults aged 60 and older experience abuse in a given year — roughly 5.6 million people — and the World Health Organization puts the global figure near 1 in 6. Most abuse is by family, but the NCEA resource line attributes roughly 13% of reported incidents to non-family medical caregivers. And it is badly undercounted: an estimated 1 in 24 cases ever reaches authorities.
How common is abuse by babysitters or nannies?
US authorities receive an estimated 7,000-plus reports of child sexual abuse by babysitters each year (OJJDP research). Child-care workers are a small share of all abusers, but when a babysitter does harm a child, victims are far more likely to be injured than in other crimes against young children — which is why verifying who you hire matters.
Aren’t caregivers already screened?
Not always, and not consistently. Screening requirements vary by state and by whether the worker is hired through an agency, a marketplace, or privately — and a family hiring a nanny or a private aide is often doing the vetting themselves. A registry-and-records search is a fast, do-it-yourself check before someone is alone with a child or an older adult.
How do I check a caregiver or nanny before hiring?
Search their name across all 58 US sex offender registries and criminal records, confirm the match with a date of birth or city, check references and prior employment, and — because status changes — set an alert to keep watching. The personal search is a safety check, not a consumer report; hiring a household employee can be an FCRA-covered decision, so the formal decision runs through a screening company’s FCRA workflow.
Standard OffenderSearch results are not a consumer report. Use them for personal safety only.
Check before you trust
Search a caregiver or nanny free across 58 US registries and criminal records, then run a Background Check — $9.99 — where they live or work.