And according to Gill Fletcher, a counsellor from support service, the Yacaaba Centre in Nelson Bay, many people often don't realise that they are a victim.

"People will often equate abuse to physical abuse or violence when in actual fact, in my experience of elder abuse, it is much more subtle than that," Ms Fletcher said.

"It is often emotional, psychological, financial, or being isolated from family and friends."

"People don't talk about it, people don't hear about it and therefore people in that age group think they're imagining things or that it's just normal."

Senior constable Krystle Wilcox is the Aged Crime Prevention Officer for the Port Stephens - Hunter Police District and says that elder abuse can take on several different forms.

"But there's always help available," she said.

According to Senior Constable Wilcox elder abuse is a form of domestic violence and can occur between family members or people living together - without the need for the relationship to be intimate.

"It can involve relationships involving paid and unpaid care and dependency," she said.

"In the case of older people, it may have been occurring for many years or it may be a recent development."

According to police figures, more than 90 per cent of perpetrators are family members.

Financial: includes misuse of money, bank accounts or powers of attorney.

Psychological: includes verbal abuse, belittling or name calling and isolation from others.

Neglect: a failure to provide basic needs e.g food, heating or healthcare.

Physical: such as assault, shoving, rough handling, physical or chemical restraint.

Sexual: any unwelcome sexual behaviour or act and can include inappropriate washing or handling.

Has someone ever tried to: