Caregiver & elder abuse statistics (2026)
We invite caregivers into our homes and trust them with the people we love most — a child, an aging parent. Here is what the reported numbers say about abuse by in-home caregivers and babysitters, how badly it is undercounted, and how to check someone before you hire.
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 the numbers mean
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.
The context behind the headline numbers
Why in-home caregiver safety is a growing concern, not a shrinking one.
How to check a caregiver 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.
- Keep watching. A person monitor ($3/mo) emails you if someone caring for your child or parent is ever added to a registry — because a one-time check goes stale.
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. It is a personal-safety check, not a consumer report.
Offendersearch is not a consumer reporting agency and 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 set a $3/mo alert to keep watching.